


Lover Dearest

by RelentlassHuggerSquad



Category: Professional Wrestling, WWE, World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Addict!Liv, Angst, Heavy Angst, Liv Needs A Hug, Liv is a celeb, Liv is a problem child, Liv needs a friend, Ruby is a sober living companion, Ruby is that friend, Sarah is Liv's security, famous au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:14:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 26,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22125445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RelentlassHuggerSquad/pseuds/RelentlassHuggerSquad
Summary: Liv Morgan is famous for being famous and for a variety of other reasons both good and bad. She is on a downward spiral, a former child star who is both reckless and lost. Ruby is a sober living coach, hired by Liv’s management to bring Liv back from the brink and keep her clean. Can Ruby protect Liv from herself or is she too far gone for a real comeback?Tw: Depression, self-harm issues, addiction. Liv has a lot of dark demons to work through.
Relationships: Liv Morgan/Ruby Riot | Heidi Lovelace, Ruby Riot & Liv Morgan, Sarah Bridges | Crazy Mary Dobson/Liv Morgan/Ruby Riot | Heidi Lovelace
Comments: 81
Kudos: 50





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ahunter8056](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ahunter8056/gifts).



“Get it together, come on!” Liv Morgan stared into the broken remains of her mirror. Glass was shattered all over her bathroom floor, blood dripping from her busted knuckles. Her hand was starting to swell but she didn't even care. She stared into the dirty mirror, the cracks in it making it seem like there were multiple different Liv Morgans. Perhaps in a weird way, there was, you could ask just about everybody in Hollywood about Liv and they all would give you a different answer. 

Some would say she was a musical savant with the different instruments, others would say that she was famous for being famous. Movie producers would say she had great comedic timing. There were a hundred different snapshots of her personality, and yet none of them told the whole picture. Even Liv wasn’t quite sure who she was. 

Whether she was the girl that gave a whole paycheck from a movie to combat the wildfires in California. Or if she was the girl so stoned and hungover that she wrecked multiple hotel rooms and cars. 

The bloodshot eyes staring back at her didn’t seem to hold any answers either. Her pink hair was tied up in a messy bun, her pale eyes looked more like shattered and melting ice than anything else. A feeling of panic was starting to rise up inside Liv, threatening to overwhelm her once again. She, of course, tried to push it down and keep it at bay, but she could feel the anxiety nipping at her heels. 

Liv gripped the edge of the sink, her knuckles screaming in protest as she flexed her fingers. “Get it together Liv, pull yourself together.” She said, trying to catch her breath. 

Just beyond the bathroom door, a massive party was raging out of control. Liv had impulsively invited a bunch of strangers from the club to her house. That was part of her problem, her lack of impulse control. 

She was reckless and she knew it, her whole management team knew it, the world seemed to know it as well. Liv was their favorite trainwreck to watch, she was hurtling towards disaster and people couldn’t get enough of it. Publicity even if it was for the wrong reasons, still counted when it came to bringing in the cash. 

Her Hollywood friends didn’t care if she got a DUI or plastic surgery, what they cared about was if she had connections for drugs and other things. Everything was superficial and surface level and Liv was drowning in it all. Her last couple of assistants had only lasted a few weeks at best and the ones before that had been all too happy to enable her bad behavior. The only one that actually seemed to care was Stephanie McMahon who owned Liv's management contract. Steph was the only one that consistently tried to dissuade Liv from making bad choices, the only one who would tell her 'no'.

Liv didn’t even realize she was crying until she felt the teardrops hitting the back of her hands. The feeling of her salty tears mixing with the open wounds stung like hell and felt super jarring to her. She watched almost like an out of body experience as the teardrops mixed with the water and blood in the sink. 

A knock at the door finally pulled her out of her funk. Liv hurried wiped her eyes with her good hand and then grabbing a towel, covered her bleeding knuckles with it. She unlocked the door and flashed one of her trademark grins, trying to dissuade the person on the other side from talking to her. 

She knew she needed to pull it together, but Liv was struggling with this overwhelming emptiness and despair. She didn’t know how to break the surface, to keep herself from drowning. 

The only thing that Liv could think of, was trying to find more alcohol to numb her pain. She didn’t want to be a buzz kill and so she walked directly to her kitchen. If the people in her house wanted to see a train wreck, then she was going to give them that and so much more. It was what she did best anyways, that much everybody could agree upon.

\-----

Ruby Riott knew for a fact that when a lot of people first met her, they would never associate her with the career path of a sober-living coach. If anything the girl's tattoos and piercings often led to her being judged as the one in need of help. It wasn't accurate though, the thirty-year-old had spent most of her adulthood being straight edge. She had partied and had tried going that route, but it hadn't stuck. It wasn't who she was and after a few years in college, she had decided to become a therapist of sorts. People, in general, fascinated her and she liked to learn how they ticked so that she could help them. 

She apparently was good enough at her job to be requested by some stars. She had helped various celebrities and athletes overcome their addictions and Ruby took great pride in their successes. She had yet to meet a patient that she couldn't help. Most of them varied, but after about six months to a year of her assistance, they were usually strong enough to no longer require her care.

The sober coach had recently finished working with a women’s soccer player when she had been contacted by a famous management company. McMahon Media was a pretty big deal in Los Angeles and working with one of the people on their pay role was considered pretty prestigious. Ruby wasn’t sure why they wanted her, but she figured she owed it to herself to give it a shot. So she had agreed to go to their office building in downtown Los Angeles and meet them. 

What she wasn’t expected was that the parking lot would be super packed, forcing her to park at the other end of the street. It didn’t help that it cut into the buffer time she had left herself for making it to the meeting early. Ruby tried to smooth down her blouse and slacks at the same time she was power walking across the building’s lobby. She reached for the ‘up’ button on the elevator panel, only for somebody to rudely try and shut the door in her face. Ruby barely managed to stop the doors from closing and shot a dirty look at the other occupant in the elevator. 

“Thank you for waiting,” Ruby said sarcastically, as she eyed the stranger. 

“You’re welcome.” The stranger deadpanned back at her, giving Ruby an unimpressed once-over.

Ruby folded her arms over her chest, trying not to shrink under the nasty look that was being shot in her direction. There was something oddly familiar about the stranger, the pink hair and the odd logo on the other woman’s shirt was pricking at her mind. The cast that woman was sporting on her left hand seemed new, it was bedazzled and kind of ugly. 

“You should just take a picture it’ll last longer.” The stranger snapped. 

It was then that it dawned on Ruby, just who she was in the elevator with. One couldn’t walk down the aisle in a grocery store without seeing a dozen gossip magazines plastered with Liv Morgan’s face on the front.

“I don’t want a picture of a D list celebrity,” Ruby replied with a scoff. 

This seemed to take Liv back, but instead of reacting verbally she just shut up. If a person was to look closely, there was the barest hint of a smile on Liv’s face. There was less than a handful of people in the world who would be ballsy enough to tell Liv off like that.

The elevator dinged and Liv gestured for Ruby to go first, which the sober-living coach thought was weird. Ruby tried to shake the thought out of her head and started walking towards the McMahon Media office. She could hear Liv’s footsteps right behind her but tried not to pay any attention to it. 

As she walked into the small office, Ruby noticed it was a bit cramped with only a couple of chairs and a coffee table. The majority of the room was taken up by the front desk. The receptionist at the front desk was beautiful if not a little bored-looking. Her name tag read Mandy, but she barely looked up to acknowledge Ruby. When Liv walked in it was another story, however. 

“Hey Liv, I heard you threw another rager over the weekend. Steph is totally huffy about it, so I’d watch your back.” Mandy said, her face softening. She glanced at Ruby and raised a brow. “Is Tattoo-barbie here with you, she doesn't seem your usual type?” 

Ruby scowled at the nickname which caused Liv to snort in amusement. “No, she’s not with me. I don’t even know her name.” Liv answered, leaning against the desk like she owed the place. “Steph will forgive me, she always does. Don’t you think she’ll forgive me...Tattoos?” Liv asked, giving Ruby a look, watching with interest as Ruby’s eyes flashed dangerously at the nickname. 

“My name is not Tattoos. My name is Ruby and I am here for a meeting with Ms. McMahon.” Ruby said, fighting to keep her voice even. She had dealt with a lot of trying people in her life, but for some reason, this d-list celebrity was already starting to annoy her. 

Mandy looked super amused by Ruby’s comments. “Yes, I think Ms. McMahon will be happy to see you, I’ll let her know you’re here. Please take a seat.” 

Ruby nodded and went to sit down over in a chair. She wasn’t sure how long it was going to take so she picked up on of the magazines, trying to ignore Liv and Mandy who continued talking. Ruby didn’t really care what they had to say nor did she think it was her business. 

She was flipping through the magazine when Liv sat down a chair away and cleared her throat. At first, Ruby just ignored her, until Liv cleared her throat again more annoyingly. The celebrity waited until Ruby looked at her before she spoke. 

“You can’t believe everything you read in a magazine. I never slept with Leonardo DiCaprio or Zac Efron.” Liv said, her eyes burning with a sort of intensity that Ruby was confused by. 

“O...okay?” Ruby glanced back at the magazine. She wasn't sure why the other girl was talking to her again. “Why does it matter if I believe it or not?”

“It doesn’t,” Liv said quickly, she was silent for a little bit before speaking up again. “It just irritates me that they come up with all these stories. They have the tiniest bit of truth and then they spin the craziest web of lies.” 

Ruby sighed and set the magazine down, realizing she probably wouldn’t be getting to read. “So you haven’t slept with Leo or Zac then?” 

Liv shook her head. “No, Leo is too old and Zac is...too dumb.” 

Ruby raised a brow, a cutting comment on the tip of her tongue that she barely managed to stifle. “Okay the Hemsworth brother, the one Miley divorced?” 

“I can’t confirm or deny that one,” Liv said with a coy smile, though she did wiggle her eyebrows. "I also never did drugs with Miley, that was purely speculation."

"Didn't they catch you both staggering out of some hookah lounge?" Ruby fired back. 

Liv chuckled and gave a weak shrug. "We hung out, but we weren't on a bender together. There are only half-truths in the tabloids. The next thing they'll be saying is I'm too skinny because I got abducted by aliens." 

Ruby rolled her eyes but was saved from having to respond by the door opening. Stephanie McMahon in all of her boardroom glory stepped out. 

“Ms. Riott, I am glad you could make it. Sorry for the delay, please come with me.” Stephanie said giving Ruby a friendly smile before her gaze drifted over to Liv. “I’ll be with you in a minute, Olivia.” 

Liv flinched and sulked down in her chair, seemingly more like a scolded puppy than anything else. Ruby gently tossed her the magazine, giving her a tiny smile, before she followed Stephanie to the back. 

“I see you have met Ms. Morgan,” Stephanie said, gliding to her office on impossibly long legs. Ruby struggled to keep up with her and ended up following half a pace behind.

“Oh yeah, she’s…” Ruby paused as she tried to think of a proper word to describe Liv. In the few minutes of interaction, Liv had been arrogant, rude and a little mean, but towards the end, Ruby had found her humorous and slightly endearing. 

“Challenging...abrasive...infuriating... egotistical...self-absorbed,” Stephanie supplied, as she opened the door to the boardroom. She gestured for Ruby to take a seat. 

Ruby frowned and plopped down in a chair. “I was going to say unique.” She said blushing a little bit.

Stephanie let out a laugh at that one and just shook her head. “Liv certainly is unique and she’s actually why I called you here. You have been highly recommended to me, you seem to have a gift for helping people who need it and believe me when I say Liv needs it.” 

Ruby’s jaw about hit the floor, she had assumed Stephanie needed her help with a client but she hadn’t counted on the client being Liv Morgan of all people. “Does she even want help?” Ruby squeaked out. 

“Look, some management firms like a little scandal, but I prefer my clients to be alive. This business chews people up and spits them out, I don’t want that happening to her.” Stephanie said, her tone taking on a very serious edge. 

“You care about her," It wasn't so much a statement but more of an observation on Ruby's part.

Stephanie gripped the edge of her chair and gave a simple nod. “Life isn’t black and white Ms. Riott, you should know from your experiences as a sober living companion that sometimes people need a little extra help. Liv needs you, needs your help.” 

Ruby still felt a bit hesitant about this whole thing, considering the way that she and Liv had first interacted. “If this is going to be successful then we’ll need her cooperation. She probably won't enjoy having this type of thing sprung on her." 

That much was true as Liv barged in the room just a few seconds later. "Why did your husband just congratulate me on my new assistant?!" Liv demanded, clearly peeved. "I thought we agreed you would stop that." 

"Calm down and lower your voice. I didn't get you a new assistant Olivia. Well not in the way you think, you've already met Ruby right?" Stephanie asked, standing up. She grabbed Liv by her good wrist and pulled her into the conference room, shutting the door. 

Liv glanced at Ruby, a flood of emotions swirling in her gaze. "Yeah, I met tattoos...Ruby in the elevator. What does she have to do with me?" Liv asked, not quite understanding what was going on.

"Ruby is a sober-living companion. Liv you can consider this an intervention of sorts, Ms. Riott is going to help you be the best version of yourself." Stephanie said, cutting right to the chase. She couldn't be bothered to beat around the bush. 

Ruby could see the gears turning in the younger girl's mind. "I can't force you to make changes but I can help you make positive adjustments to your life. You said in the lobby that the magazines lie and they don't give the full story, I can help you change the narrative." 

"You don't look like a PR person." Liv deadpanned, crossing her arms over her chest defensively. She glanced at Stephanie. "I didn't ask for your help in this, I was doing fine on my own." 

Stephanie simply pulled out her cellphone and turned it to face Liv. On the screen was a drunk Liv with ruined make-up who had clearly been crying. "You're not doing fine. You called me the other night during your rager and started talking about how you hated what you saw in the mirror. You're destroying yourself Liv and I'm not going to allow it anymore." 

"So your solution is to hire some woman off the street to play babysitter?" Liv asked coldly, her gaze shifting to Ruby. "Let me save you the trouble, you'll end up disappointed in me and quit. They all quit, this will be a waste of time Steph." 

"Ruby will be your sober living companion because if you mess this up Liv...I'll fire you," Stephanie warned, before sighing. "Don't make me fire you Liv. Don't be that statistic." Liv looked like she was about to cry again, but stayed quiet which Steph knew meant that she had won for the moment. 

Ruby couldn't tear her eyes away from the picture of Liv on the phone. The girl looked broken, vulnerable and exposed, it almost made Ruby feel guilty for seeing her that way. "I'm not a miracle worker." 

"No, I don't suppose you are, but you might be Liv's last chance. She won't admit it right now, but she needs you." Stephanie said addressing Ruby even though she didn't take her eyes off of Liv. 

"If this is going to work then we're going to have to build a rapport with each other," Ruby said looking to Liv. This wasn't the usual way she met her clients but Liv didn't strike her as somebody typical. "Maybe we should go somewhere less stressful and talk?" 

Liv stood to her feet, trembling as she stood. "Come on I know a waffle house." She said, leaving the room without saying goodbye to Stephanie or even waiting to see if Ruby followed.

Stephanie watched her go and then sighed heavily. "She's a handful Ms. Riott, but she just needs a steady hand. Do you think you can help her?" 

Ruby shrugged, not wanting to lie. "I don't know if this is going to work, but I'll do my best. At the end of the day, if she doesn't want my help, I can't force her. She has to want to change or else this really won't work. We'll see how this lunch goes and if this will be a compatible working relationship." 

Ruby already had a feeling that Liv was going be a challenge, but Ruby didn't have it in her to back down from a fight. She felt like she owed it to Liv and herself to at least try and make this work. If it didn't work she'd at least get a free meal out of it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby meets Liv's security guard and finds out there's more to Liv then meets the eye.

The more that Ruby Riott watched Liv Morgan, the more she realized just how complex her new client was going to be. Liv had insisted on Ruby riding with her to the waffle house but then had taken up most of the back seat, while her chauffeur drove them to the restaurant. 

Liv seemed to try and take up as much of the backseat as possible, but still kept a few inches of space between her and Ruby, as if the thought of them touching scared her. There was an invisible line in the sand drawn, and Ruby found herself feeling more fascinated then actually annoyed. 

It was hard to get a real read on the celebrity, but Ruby was doing her best to take the time and study her. Liv kept flexing her fingers that were in the cast and picking at lint on her jeans. She was humming along to some generic song the driver had playing on the radio. It actually took Ruby a minute to realize it was one of Liv's songs that was playing. If Ruby was remembering correctly, it was one of the piano ballads Liv had sung for a romance movie she had starred in. 

"You are staring at me which I guess I should be used too, but you're staring at me and not talking," Liv said finally breaking the silence. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat and drew her knees to her chest, resting her chin on top of them. 

"Sorry about that, I'm just curious I guess as to why Stephanie wants me to be your sober living companion. I'm great at my job, but I'm not sure why she didn't attempt to hire a well-known professional." Ruby explained, not wanting to tell Liv that she was trying to get a read on her. She had a sinking feeling it would just piss off the already moody celebrity. 

Liv considered her words for a minute and then shrugged. "I think you're probably a person who can fly under the radar and she likes a person she can trust to use discretion." 

Ruby nodded her head slowly. "Whatever you tell me or we work on will stay between us. I am here to aid you and be a tool in your recovery." 

"Well, you are already a tool and a pain in my backside," Liv said sticking out her tongue playfully. There was no real bite in her tone, she was just being sassy to try and get a reaction out of Ruby. 

"You're one classy broad Liv Morgan," Ruby muttered, folding her arms over her chest. She felt her face flush as Liv began to laugh at her in earnest. 

Perhaps there were many layers to Liv Morgan, but the top layer seemed to be an annoying one in Ruby's opinion. Liv seemed very content to push boundaries in an attempt to get people to be reactive in one way or another. Ruby could tell that until firm boundaries were in place, Liv was going to do everything in her power to antagonize her. 

When the duo arrived at the restaurant Ruby climbed out and then watched Liv exit the car out of the same side that she had. Liv slid down some designer sunglasses and gestured for Ruby to follow her into the restaurant. 

“Why the glasses do fluorescent lights hurt your eyes?” Ruby questioned, wondering if this was yet another layer to Liv’s personality. “You kind of look like a dickhead wearing those glasses inside.” 

Liv huffed at her. “Shut up, I haven’t hired you yet, nor would your job be to make snide little comments.” She muttered as an amused smile did seem to pull at Liv’s lips. It wasn’t often that somebody would take shots at her to her face. It was sort of refreshing. 

Ruby tried to hide a smile of her own as she followed Liv to a table in the back. Liv sat down at a table that was already occupied by a muscular brunette. Liv immediately grabbed a biscuit off the stranger’s plate and began to eat it, much to Ruby’s horror. She honestly thought that the brunette was going to beat Liv into a bloody pulp. 

“Did you seriously just steal a stranger’s food?” Ruby hissed, in disbelief. 

“She’s not a stranger, she’s my bodyguard,” Liv stated, not even halting as she continued to eat more of the other woman’s food. “Ruby this is Sarah, Sarah this is Ruby. Apparently tattoos here is gonna be my new sober living companion.” 

Sarah seemed to size Ruby up, then dismissively nodded to the seat across from her. “Good luck with that, keeping this one out of trouble is a full-time job,” Sarah said, before smacking Liv’s hand away as the celebrity made a grab for her coffee.

Ruby sat down next to Liv, unsure of what to make of Sarah at first. “It’s nice to meet you.” She said awkwardly. 

Liv made another grab for Sarah’s food. “I am not that hard to look after. I can take care of myself.” She remarked defiantly trying to puff her chest out.

“Clearly you can’t Liv, look at your fist.” Sarah pointed out, gesturing pointedly at Liv’s broken hand. She glanced at Ruby. “I am curious about something, how did you end up with this job?”

Ruby shrugged her shoulders. “I got a call from Stephanie McMahon. I thought it was for somebody else, but I think I could help her.” Ruby said smiling at Liv. She was trying to figure her out, curious as to the things that made the blonde tick.

Sarah studied their interaction and then resumed eating her meal. “Liv is really good at annoying people until they leave, you’ll have your work cut out for you. You have to set the boundaries early or she’ll walk all over you.” 

Ruby was thankfully saved from having to respond as the waitress came over to take her and Liv’s order. She was surprised to find that Liv also ordered three meals simply for herself and actually managed to eat most of it. The conversation seemed to flow easily, Ruby found that when Liv relaxed she could really funny and her banter with Sarah about food was pretty endearing as well.

“That’s another thing about Liv, she’s like a human trash can. I don’t know how she eats so much, but she packs it away like a starving teenage boy.” Sarah said chuckling as she was shown the middle finger by Liv. 

“Stop picking on me Logan, I am the one who signs your checks,” Liv grumbled as she dug into her hashbrowns. “I could totally fire you if I wanted too.”She warned, holding out her fork towards Sarah as if it was a dagger.

“Yes, you could fire me. But you definitely won’t, because I’m the one who keeps you safe. Nobody else would be half as good at my job.” Sarah said smugly, not at all scared of the petite star. 

As much as the bodyguard razzed Liv, there was a softness in her tone. Ruby could tell that the taller security guard cared a lot about her client. Perhaps there was more layers to the celeb than Ruby had though, but she looked forward to seeing them all and finding out more about her. 

\-----

“You can have that room,” Liv said pointing down the hallway from her own room. Liv had been hesitant but she had been talked into letting Ruby live in her mansion. Stephanie had told her that it would make more sense to have Ruby close by, in case Liv started struggling with a relapse. 

Ruby hefted her duffle bag to her shoulder and pulled her suitcase behind her. The few boxes of Ruby’s stuff had already been delivered the day before and were in her new room. 

“Thank you for letting me stay, I figured you would have stuck me in the guest house,” Ruby said giving Liv an easy smile. 

Liv shrugged her shoulders, she was still trying to get used to Ruby’s presence. Stephanie had hired her assistants and people in the past, but none of them had stuck very long. Ruby struck her as a different type of person though and Liv wasn’t sure how to handle that. 

“I thought about sticking you in the guest house, but I didn’t think that was very nice of me. Plus, I need you in the actual house so you can do those random drug tests.” Liv replied, crossing her arms over her chest. 

Ruby frowned and just stared at her. “I am not here to be the hall monitor or to judge you Liv. I want to help you come up with better coping habits so that you don’t need the drugs or alcohol. Do you want to be clean?” Ruby asked, wanting to know where their starting point was. The situation wasn’t going to work out if Liv didn’t want to actually be sober for herself, it had to be Liv’s choice. 

“I do want to be sober, I don’t like being out of control. It’s all just so…” Liv trailed off and then sighed unsure of how open she really wanted to be. “I’ve been through a lot, I have my reason for wanting to avoid the pain. But I’ll honestly do my best to try and stay clean.” She replied, knowing she owed the people she cared about that much. 

Ruby watched Liv, trying to get a read on the girl’s reaction. Liv had redyed her hair a rich pink and seemed to be nervously playing with it. Deciding to give Liv a break, Ruby chose to change the subject. 

“You have a nice home, is it true you have a recording studio in the basement?” Ruby asked, wanting to know some easy facts about Liv that wouldn’t somehow trigger the younger woman. 

Liv cracked the barest hint of a smile. “It’s not a full studio but I do like to go down into the basement and record a few things. It’s where I recorded most of my second album ‘Daddy’. It went double platinum.” She said leading the way downstairs. 

“How many instruments can you play?” Ruby asked, noting the way that conversation about music seemed to have Liv lighting up. 

“Hmm, I can play the piano, guitar, and drums. I’d love to learn the violin and the cello. I want to be a one-woman band.” Liv said chuckling, before gesturing to where her piano and guitar were. “I love the piano and the guitar the best, I’m still in the process of learning the drums.” 

Ruby was rather impressed as she looked at how well maintained Liv’s instruments were. They were impressive and from the looks of them, very expensive. “You’re a jack of all trades aren’t you? That’s impressive Liv, who taught you to play?” 

“My mom taught me, I’m a jack of all trades and master of none. At least not truly.” Liv’s features shifted into a sad look and she looked away. She loved her mom but their relationship was complicated at best. “You don’t have to suck up to me you know. Steph isn’t paying you to compliment me, so you don’t have to lie. You’re just here to collect a check and get me clean right?” 

Ruby didn’t know what compelled her but she reached out for Liv’s good hand. “Hey, I will help you get clean, but we can go slow. Your problems aren’t going to be solved overnight, but you aren’t alone. I’ll be here, right by your side. I promise I’m not just here to collect a check.” 

Liv slowly pulled her hand away, trying to ignore the feeling of hope she had briefly felt. “Let’s just go see the rest of the house. I think I’ve had enough emotional vulnerability for the day.” Liv muttered, desperately wanting a drink. 

She found that it was easier confronting the bottom of a bottle, then having to deal with the fact that she would only end up disappointing Ruby in the end. She could sense that Ruby was trying to believe in her, but Liv knew that eventually she would just disappoint the tattooed girl and be abandoned once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all are enjoying the story, please be sure to subscribe, leave kudos and comment. I love when people leave comments and tell me what they enjoy about it. This story has a special spot in my heart.
> 
> Also Demi Lovato's new song 'Anyone' is totally Liv in this AU. Like the lyrics are everything I imagined Liv's feeling.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liv needs to chill out a bit, and Ruby tries to find a way to help her do that.

Liv scowled as she ripped the earphones out of her ears rather abruptly. “This doesn’t sound right Tyler.” She said all but throwing the phone at him. She had been listening to the sample of her newest song that he had mixed for her. “I hate the autotune, it was better when it was acoustic.” 

“I am sorry, I thought that was what the song needed.” Tyler Breeze said, flinching as the phone hit him in the chest. He sighed and rubbed at the spot, a deep frown settling onto his face. "This is a fresh spin on it, like a new coat of paint. It just takes some getting used to."

Liv’s left eye twitched as she stared at him, evidently not agreeing with his opinion. “I told you when I sent the track over that it was meant to be acoustic. But you didn’t listen and now it sounds like techno-funk garbage.” 

"It's not garbage, we could salvage it." Tyler protested, still seeking to appease her. "Maybe I could tone down the autotune." 

"I don't need to use autotune, I'm not some teen flavor of the week, Breeze." Liv snapped, her fist clenching at her side. She was starting to grow increasingly volatile. “I need a drink.” 

Ruby, who had remained quiet the entire meeting slowly stood up. “How about we go for a walk instead.” She phrased it as a suggestion, but there was an underlying firmness to her words.

“I said I need a drink,” Liv said. She pinched the bridge of her nose, Ruby had been so quiet that she had forgotten her sober living companion was even there. 

Ruby crossed her arms over her chest. “How about we go for that walk first and if you still want a drink after, we’ll discuss it.” She offered, trying to placate her friend without cause Liv to erupt into more theatrics. 

“Fine,” Liv growled, before snatching her purse off the table and marching out of the room, not even waiting for Ruby to catch up. 

“Is she always like this?” Ruby questioned allowed, wondering if she was ever going to get used to Liv’s sometimes volatile personality. Her own frustration was bleeding through, but Ruby was aware that she needed to bring it back in. She couldn't allow her own emotions to get in the way and cause her to be reactionary.

“She is usually worse when she’s been drinking. She broke my phone before this one, she’s just passionate I guess.” Tyler said frowning as he tucked his phone into his pocket. “What can you do?”

Ruby felt almost bad for the studio mixer. “I’ll talk to her, just because she’s famous doesn’t give her a right to treat you like garbage. I don’t know if she’ll apologize, but I’m sorry for her behavior.” She said before walking out of the room and in the direction Liv had taken. She was surprised to find that Liv had at least held the elevator for her. Not surprising was the fact that Sarah was in the elevator, Liv’s bodyguard had an uncanny ability to pop up out of nowhere and lurk behind them like a shadow.

The ride down to the first floor was a quiet one, Ruby had a couple questions on her mind but she didn’t want to push Liv. If the star felt like Ruby was coming in too hot then she’d clam up and shut the sober living coach out. 

As they made their way outside, it was actually Liv who broke the silence. “I am sorry you had to see that side of me,” 

“I’m not the one you should be apologizing too,” Ruby said, making sure to keep her voice calm and even. She didn’t want to feed into Liv’s negative behaviors and escalate the situation. “My job is to be there and help you stay sober, to give you the tools so that you can someday manage your sobriety on your own. Do you know why you want a drink?” 

Liv kicked at a rock on the sidewalk, her eyes narrowing. “My whole career I’ve felt like nobody listens to me. I am forced into the box of what everybody else wants me to be, they only care if I am making them money. That song was important to me the way it was, a simple acoustic track” Liv explained, running a hand through her hair in frustration. 

Ruby nodded in understanding, wanting Liv to be able to express her feelings. “Do you think perhaps that you could have used your words to explain that to Mr. Breeze?”

“I tried, I have tried countless times Ruby!” Liv snapped, her temper flaring up again. “They always write me off as some ditzy blonde who doesn’t know a thing about music or what I am doing. But I’m not dumb Ruby, I am actually quite intelligent.” 

A small frown settled on Ruby’s face as she tried to sympathize with Liv. She knew it was important for the artist to get back in there and finish her song, but she could tell that Liv also needed a break. Ruby glanced over her shoulder at Sarah, but the bodyguard had put on her sunglasses and was following behind them, clearly staying out of their conversation.

“Would you say you’re feeling creatively stifled?” Ruby questioned, though she already knew the answer to it. She could sense how defeated the other girl was, simply based on the way she was carrying herself. 

Liv nodded and folded her arms across her midsection. “I just want to release the music I want too. I am tired of people taking my work and twisting it into a messed up creation that’s not true to my vision.” 

“Well I am not sure we could fix that in a day, but I’ll tell you what. I have an idea to let you get some of your creative energy out, something they can’t take away.” Ruby said, an idea popping into her mind. “Do you trust me?”

Liv hesitated and then shrugged. “It’s not like I have much of a choice, but I’m trusting you with my sobriety aren’t I?” 

Ruby couldn’t really argue with her logic, so she instead just forced a smile. “Let’s finish this obligation with Breeze and while you do that, I’ll make sure the other thing is set up for us.” She promised, giving her a nod. “Sarah do you want to join us?” She asked, glancing over her shoulder at Liv’s security. 

Sarah gave a non-committal shrug. “Where she goes, I go. It’s in the contract.” 

“It’s settled then, the three of us are going to do something fun after,” Ruby announced, looking almost too excited at the prospect.

Liv scrunched up her nose. “I have a feeling our ideas of fun are a lot different Ruby.” She shook her head and made her way back to the building. “Do I have to apologize to Breeze?” 

“You don’t have to do anything Liv, but if you feel it’s the right thing to do then you should do it. I am not here to force you to do anything, I’m just here to help.” Ruby said, trying to remind her without being too pushy.

"I guess I'll apologize," Liv said quietly. 

"Do whatever you feel is right." Ruby would have sworn that Sarah almost looked proud, but the bodyguard had gone back to scanning the crowd and building for potential threats. 

Liv led the way back up to the floor that Breeze's recording studio was in. Now that she had calmed down, she could recognize she had been a little harsh on him. He had just been trying to do right by studio standards, it wasn't like he had intentionally set out to screw with her recording. 

"Hey Breezy baby, can we talk?" Liv asked, taking a seat across from him. "I owe you an apology." 

Tyler looked surprised by her words. "You're apologizing?"

Liv laughed weakly and nodded. "Yeah, I guess I am. Look Tyler, I am really sorry for snapping and going off on you. I was upset about the autotune, but I shouldn't have taken it out on you. I am an adult and I should have acted like one instead of a spoiled brat." 

"I forgive you Liv. I am sorry too, I didn't realize how important this song was too you. I think I might be able to get your original acoustic track and clean it up. I respect your vision Liv, I don't want you to ever feel like I am not on your side. I have you back." Tyler promised, giving her a reassuring smile. 

"Hug it out, Ty?" Liv asked, opening her arms to him. 

Tyler chuckled under his breath and hugged Liv close. "Your hugs are always my favorite. Thank you for coming back to apologize."

Liv shrugged her shoulders. "I guess my new friend is a good influence." She said glancing at Ruby, who was doing her best to look like she wasn't listening in on their conversation.

\-----

\- A couple of hours later-

“You know I really hate being blindfolded, I actually hate it with a passion,” Liv grumbled but she didn’t take the blindfold off despite her words. 

“If Ruby was going to kill you, she would have done it by now. Besides I am right here, she’s not going to hurt you.” Sarah replied gruffly from behind them. 

Ruby who was leading Liv by the wrist, let out a very unladylike scoff. “I told you that you would like this surprise if you’re feeling creatively stifled. I called in a favor, so you just need to chill out and trust me.” 

Liv wanted to point out that she very rarely trusted anybody but managed to hold her tongue. She stayed silent until Ruby freed her from the blindfold. The sight that greeted Liv was a little confusing until she realized that the reason there were clear tarps laid out is that Ruby had brought them there to paint. 

“We’re painting?” Liv asked looking excited as she watched Ruby assemble three massive canvases in a sort of large ‘C’ shape. 

“Sort of, this is more like splatter painting. I brought us suits that we can paint in, that way we don’t ruin your outfits. I also brought snacks and some tunes.” Ruby said, nodding to a boombox over in the corner. 

Liv snorted softly. “I don’t think anybody in the past couple decades has called it tunes Ruby.” She pointed out, but there was a part of her that was excited at the prospect of splatter painting. There didn’t seem to be rules for it and it was chaotic enough that Liv felt like it would match her energy. 

“I can’t paint to save my life but I can watch,” Sarah said a bit uneasy. 

Ruby studied the bodyguard for a moment and shook her head. “No come on it will be fun. Just put on the coveralls and smock to protect your clothes and fling paint. That’s the only rule is to get as much paint on the canvas as you can.” 

Sarah still didn’t seem sure, but as she saw that Liv looked happy for the first time in a long time she nodded. “Alright, I’ll join in. Please put on the tunes as you call them.” 

Ruby laughed and went overturning on some late 90s and early 2000s pop music. It didn’t take long at all for the trio to start having fun and flinging paint at the different canvases. The art looked like a mess, but for the first time, Ruby was seeing more of a softer side to Liv and Sarah. 

During her time in college, Ruby had learned a lot about art therapy and how it helped people. There was a small piece of her that was hoping it would be a tool that Liv could employ in her battle with alcohol addiction. It was more than evident that Liv needed healthier outlets then the ones that she already had or at least ones that weren’t so stressful.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liv explains somethings about her past to Ruby.

Liv flipped through yet another boring channel and groaned as she turned off the tv. She wasn’t sure why she paid to have so many channels if there was nothing that caught her interest. She glanced at the other couch and found Ruby scrolling through a couple of internet pages. 

“I’m bored,” Liv whined, wondering what her sober living coach did for fun. Ruby hadn’t really left her side since taking the post, and while she had advised Liv to avoid situations that might trigger her, she hadn’t stopped Liv from going out and doing her usual routine. Except that Liv was tired of going to clubs and hanging out with other celebrities. She didn’t want to get her picture taken a hundred different times, she just wanted to do something relaxing. 

“I am sorry you're bored,” Ruby said, quickly finishing the email she had been typing to Stephanie. Liv’s manager had wanted to know about the blonde’s progress and if things were actually going well. 

Liv studied her companion for a long moment before sighing. “Did you ever struggle with addiction.” 

Ruby closed her laptop, shifting her full attention to Liv. “If you’re asking if I have struggled with drinking...I did. Not the extent you do, but I think I realized early on that I was on a dangerous path. I’ve had other addictions, not to drugs or anything like that, but to things that allowed me to hide so I didn’t have to confront my own demons.” Ruby explained, before slowly tilting her head to the side. 

“I miss drinking, I am not really sure I’m cut out for the sober life,” Liv admitted, looking down at her hands. She still bore the scars from punching the mirror. “I’m tired of being in pain all the time. It feels inescapable.” 

“How old were you when you first had a drink?” Ruby asked, pressing the conversation since Liv seemed willing to open up. 

Liv didn’t have to think about it long. “I was thirteen. My mom had taken me to an audition, and it hadn’t gone well. She had bought a six-pack and drank four of them before passing out. I don’t know what possessed me to do it, but I drank one of them.” Liv shivered at the memory. She recalled the bitter taste of the alcohol and how she had wanted to throw up afterward. 

Her mom had been trying to be both the mother and father figure to Liv and her siblings. Liv had talent and even during childhood she had felt this huge weight to secure the spotlight because if she did then her family would have enough money to eat and afford things. 

Ruby listened intently, just wanting to allow Liv the space to process some of her problem roots and triggers. Ruby’s own family had struggled so she could relate to some of the struggles that the other girl was talking about. 

“My mom does her best, but I think I spent too much of my time trying to make her happy instead of myself. I didn’t have much of a childhood.” Liv admitted, not wanting to point the finger at her mother. She knew that her mom had done the best that she could, but there was a piece of Liv that resented having to be the breadwinner at a young age. 

“You had mentioned earlier that you don’t think you’re cut out for a life of sobriety, why do you feel that way?” Ruby questioned, curious as to what her answer would be. 

Liv hesitated and then looked to Ruby. “Because people expect me to be the ditzy blonde. They have come to know me as this party girl, and I am not sure they’d accept me as anything else.” 

“You also have a reputation for having a heart of gold and donating to charities. You visit sick children in the hospital, why not lean into that side of your persona.” Ruby suggested giving her a warm smile. She was trying to guide Liv in the right direction without actually pushing or forcing her. “You could be like Robert Downey Jr. He got sober and completely changed his life around.” 

A hint of a smile tugged at her lips. “Nobody wanted to give him a chance,” Liv replied.

“But somebody had too right? You are not alone in this Liv, you do have people on your side. Me, Stephanie, Sarah…” Ruby trailed off. She knew how hard it would be for Liv to kick all of the bad habits she had acquired but it wasn’t impossible. “You just have to take it day by day. Everything you do is a choice, you just need to string together a couple of right ones to get the ball rolling.” 

Liv nodded slowly, accepting Ruby’s words for what they were. She couldn’t recall the last time that somebody had asked about her past without being judgemental about it. She knew that the reason Ruby was asking questions was so that she could help Liv be successful. 

“When you put it like that, it sounds easier,” Liv muttered, chuckling to herself. 

“I am not going to lie to you. Sobriety isn’t easy there are days it sucks, but think about what a gift your sobriety is. Yes, you have to face some really crappy truths without the substances to numb it, but you also get to experience a lot of great things without the haze.” Ruby could tell that she was finally getting through to Liv. She knew the celebrity had a lot of walls up, but Ruby wanted to make sure that Liv knew she’d be there for her even when the bad days hit.

Liv was silent for a while, contemplating Ruby’s words. When she spoke again it was only to change the subject. “So you’ve gotten to taste some of the perks of being a celebrity. How come you never freak out when you see the other famous people?” 

Ruby shrugged her shoulders. “I’ve met my fair share of celebrities already, but usually when I am with you, my focus is on you. I am working and I can’t let myself get distracted.” 

“Are you saying you wouldn’t leave my side if somebody like Ozzy Osborne was in the room or Joan Jett?” Liv raised a brow in disbelief. 

The barest of smiles crossed Ruby’s face. “I’d leave you in a heartbeat for Ozzy.” She said before, rolling her eyes. “When I am working though, you’re all that matters Liv. Your sobriety and your wellness matter to me, everything else takes a back seat to that.” 

“Don’t you want some time for yourself?” Liv asked, wondering if Ruby ever actually got any alone time. The girl was on-call all the time it felt like. 

“Do I wish I had some time for myself, yeah of course. But it’s my job to be here and help you. Besides, you're not so bad, you sleep a lot.” Ruby joked, trying to break Liv out of the thought trail she was going down. She didn’t want Liv to start spiraling over something so small. 

“Well, I’d like to do something nice for you.” Liv protested. She had more wealth and connections than she knew what to do with, she didn’t see a problem with trying to do something nice for her sober-living coach. 

Ruby looked uneasy. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea Liv. Our ideas of fun are kind of different, besides it wouldn’t be right of me to accept a gift from a patient.” 

Liv pouted at her and blew a raspberry. “Oh don’t be a buzz-kill. We can find something fun to do.” Liv said, hopping up to her feet. “It’ll cure my boredom.” 

Ruby didn’t look convinced but finally gave in. “Fine, but please no clubs. I don’t want to put you in a stressful position where you feel the need to drink.” Ruby didn't really enjoy the party scene at all. 

It wasn't that she wanted Liv to stay at home and hide from her problems, but Ruby was wary about putting Liv into a situation where she might feel tempted to give in to her addictions. Stephanie was paying her a lot of money to look out for Liv and to help her stay sober, Ruby didn't want to mess that up. 

Liv studied her for a long moment, her own gaze searching. She could tell Ruby wasn't really wanting to party and wasn't comfortable. "Fine, no parties. We can watch TV or something, you can pick the show." 

Sensing Liv's disappointment, Ruby gave her an apologetic smile. "You want to know what I used to do, to help the people I was working with cope? I used to take them to the dog park or an animal shelter. We'd volunteer to walk the animals and to play with them so the animals felt loved." Ruby said, leaning back in her chair. She had a feeling that Liv would be able to understand the feeling of being trapped.

"If I go to a dog park I'll get recognized." Liv interrupted, but she had lit up at the idea of seeing some animals. "I always wanted to adopt a dog from the people who do Pitbulls and parolees."

"I watch that show too." Ruby laughed, glad that they had found yet another thing to bond over. "Go get dressed, maybe we can go offer to take some dogs for a walk at the shelter. You are unlikely to get recognized at the shelter."

"That sounds good." Liv jumped to her feet and nodded. "I like dogs, they don't judge you. They're just happy you're there." 

Ruby nodded slowly. "Exactly and it's good medicine. I would enjoy playing with animals way more than I would be going to a club." 

"Alright, it's settled then. We're going to the animal shelter." Liv said, a wide smile overtaking her face as she forgot about her boredom. Her desire for a drink was forgotten too at least for the moment.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby goes to see a familiar face, while Liv makes some very bad decisions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter, I want to give some trigger warnings for: Enzo Amore makes an appearance and he says some kind of homophobic type stuff. So be warned and then also Liv has a relapse in this chapter. So if that triggers you, I just want to give a warning in advance. 
> 
> Also I am not above begging. If you like this story and are giving it a read, would you mind leaving a comment? They help me know what's working for the story and what isn't. I like knowing what parts my readers are enjoying, it helps me become a better author. Kudos are great as well though.

Ruby had made it a point to not really be that far from Liv. They pretty much did everything together these days. Ruby had assisted Liv in picking out her new dog from the shelter, she always accompanied her to the different events the Hollywood starlet had to go too. The duo had quickly become two peas in a pod. She knew it was crucial to Liv’s sobriety to be around the girl needed her, but today was Ruby’s brother’s birthday and she hadn’t seen him in a long time. He had to go to dinner with her and the sober living coach was hopeful that she could convince Liv to give her the evening off. 

She found Liv sitting at her piano, playing what sounded like a love ballad. “Hey Liv, can we talk?” Ruby asked, almost hesitant to break her out of her performance. 

Liv’s lithe fingers stilled on the keys and she turned to regard Ruby with an amused smile. “Should I be worried you’re about to break up with me, and here I wasn’t even aware we had gone on a date.” Liv teased, the tip of her tongue poking out between her lips. Liv was looking a lot healthier than the first time they had met and Ruby was proud of her. 

“Very funny, who knew you had jokes.” Ruby deadpanned, before shifting her weight from foot to foot. “I was wondering if I could have the night off. I wasn’t aware my brother was going to be in town but he wanted to surprise me. It’s his birthday.” Ruby explained. 

A weird emotion flickered in Liv’s eyes but before Ruby could question it, Liv had forced a smile. “Sure thing Ruby. I can take care of myself, I will probably just stay in tonight.”

“You should call Sarah, I’m sure she’d love to hang out with you,” Ruby suggested quickly. “She can keep you busy and keep you out of trouble.” 

“I don’t need a babysitter, Ruby.” Liv snapped sharply, her expression softening when she saw Ruby flinch. “I just mean that I’m doing good. I can take care of myself for a few hours. Go hang out with your brother.” Liv said, turning back to the piano and resuming playing. 

Ruby tilted her head to the side and placed a hand on Liv’s shoulder. “I wasn’t saying you needed a babysitter Liv. I just didn’t want you to be alone is all.”

Liv shrugged off her hand and kept playing the piano. “I’ll call a friend and ask them to have a girl’s night. I haven’t had a sleepover in a while.” She replied dismissively.

“Well if you need me, you can call,” Ruby said, feeling a bit hesitant. She knew she had upset Liv, but she hadn’t meant too. She wasn’t sure why Liv’s mood had shifted so quickly, but Ruby chalked it up to the fact that she was still getting to know her. 

“I can take care of myself, Ruby. I don’t need you.” Liv repeated her tone cold and distant. 

Ruby sighed but she didn’t argue, knowing that it would only provoke Liv further and that was the last thing she wanted. She decided to just get ready and then leave to go see her brother. Thinking about her interaction with Liv, she did shoot Sarah a message to just check on Liv later. She didn’t want to think about Liv relapsing but it wouldn’t hurt to have another set of eyes on her. 

\-----

-A few hours later-

Liv stared down at the glass of water in her hand, the ice was slowly melting much like Liv’s resolve. She had texted an old friend Lana about hanging out, Lana was a social media influencer and known for getting into different parties. If there was a potential for a scandal than Lana was the one causing it. Liv had just intended to invite Lana over to the house for a movie night but then Lana had talked about knowing where a cool party was.

Not wanting to be a buzz kill Liv had agreed to go with Lana, she had sworn to herself that she wouldn’t drink or do any of the party drugs. They had been at the part for almost an hour and Lana seemed to be living her best life, already three drinks in. 

Glancing down at her water Liv sighed and finally set it down, wiping the condensation on the legs of her jeans. She wasn’t sure what she was doing here, part of her wanted to prove to Ruby and everybody else that she was fixed. She didn’t need their self-righteous pity, nor did she want them to act as though they cared.

Liv wasn’t going to admit it, but there was a piece of her that was hurt by Ruby not inviting her to meet Ruby’s brother. Liv was always inviting Ruby places and introducing her to various celebrities. Maybe it was petty and selfish, but Liv’s ego was wounded that Ruby didn’t want to bring her around. The negative voices in Liv’s head were taunting her, telling her that her sober living coach was ashamed to be seen with her in a more intimate setting. 

“Oh my god, Liv! Don’t look now, but it’s Enzo.” Lana’s grating voice seemed to finally cut through Liv’s emotional tailspin. “Earth to Liv, do you see him? He’s coming this way.” 

A deep frown settled on Liv’s face as she followed Lana’s gaze to where Enzo Amore was approaching them. Enzo was a d-list celebrity, a rapper whose biggest claim to fame was his year and a half relationship with Liv. They had been toxic for each other, Enzo had actually been a major enabler for her addiction during that period of her life. They had been broken up for close to two years now, but Liv still hated being around him. He was a skeeze bucket and even being close to him made her want to vomit. The distract he had written about her didn't improve her opinion of him that much either.

“Well if it isn’t the great Liv Morgan. What do we have here boys?” Enzo asked, as usual, he was surrounded by his flunkies. His best friend and hype man DJ Big Cass was at his place of honor right by Enzo’s right shoulder. “Cass does my eyes deceive me, or does it appear that Liv got the stick out of her butt and has decided to grace us mere mortals with her presence.” 

“Leave me alone Enzo,” Liv said, rolling her eyes. She couldn’t believe that she had once found his antics charming. Now they just grated on her nerves as much as Lana’s nasally voice did. 

Enzo ignored her and glanced at Lana. He took the Ravishing Russian’s hand and kissed the back of it. “Don’t be a hater Liv, I’m a guest of honor. Speaking of guest, where is that girl who’s been riding your coattails. You know, the tattooed punk looking one who has been babysitting you. Are you hitting that?” Enzo leered, earning some laughs from his crew. 

Liv’s fist balled at her side and she wanted nothing more than to punch the smug smile off his face. “Don’t talk about her like that. She’s just a friend.” 

“Oh, but I know you Livvy. You couldn’t handle a real man so you turned to a woman.” Enzo was laughing again. 

Liv swung hard even as the last words left Enzo’s mouth. She dropped him with a right hook and smirked as he hit the floor. “You have a big mouth, but a glass jaw.” Liv taunted back, trying to ignore the pain that was now surging through her hand. She was pretty sure she had just refractured it, but she wasn’t about to alert Enzo to the fact.

With a grunt of disgust, Liv picked up the water she had set down and poured it over his crotch, before stepping over him and past his cronies. Not a single one of them tried to stop her, they were all too shocked to really react. Now more than ever, Liv desperately wanted a drink. She felt slimy after having interacted with him. The fact that he had brought up Ruby, only reminded Liv of her shame in the first place. 

There was no doubt that Ruby wouldn’t be happy that she was at a party. Yet a stubborn part of Liv wanted to just get a drink to spite her sober living coach. Liv could have just one drink, she was sure of it, and Ruby wouldn’t have to know the difference. Nobody else would have to know, it was just going to be one drink and then she’d cut herself off. 

\---

“Do you need to make a call?” 

Ruby glanced up sheepishly at her brother and set her phone down. “No, I am sorry. What were you saying?” Ruby asked, feeling guilty for having been caught checking her phone. 

“You’ve barely said a word all night, I’ve been doing most of the talking. Did you not want to grab dinner?” Ruby’s brother asked, looking confused. 

“I’m sorry Joshua,” Ruby said reaching across the table to squeeze his hand. “I shouldn’t be looking at my phone. It’s your birthday.”

Joshua gave her a knowing look. “You always get this far off look on your face when you’re worried about something. What is it?”

Ruby sighed and ran her hands through her hair in frustration. “It’s my client. I’ve been working with her for a couple of months now and I thought things were going okay with her sobriety. But today she lashed out at me and got defensive out of nowhere.” Ruby admitted, finally venting about what was bothering her. 

“Are you worried she might relapse?” Joshua asked. Having grown up with Ruby, he could tell that she cared deeply about this client. 

“I think my biggest fear is that things have been going so well, that she might do something stupid to prove that she’s ‘fixed’,” Ruby said putting air quotes around the last word. She sighed again and just shook her head. “Let’s not talk about it anymore. We are here to celebrate your birthday.” 

“It’s just a birthday Ruby. We can talk about anything you need too, it’s good to just see you and be able to catch up.” Josh admitted, trying to be supportive. Ruby had always been there for him, so he wanted to return the favor. 

Ruby was about to reply when her phone began to buzz. She silenced it, but then almost immediately it began to ring again. “I’m sorry, I think I have to get this,” Ruby said as she saw that it was Sarah calling her. 

Joshua waved her off with a small grin. “I’ll pay the bill, you can buy me some ice cream later to make it up to me.” He teased. 

“You got it,” Ruby said, before answering the call. “Hey Logan, what is it?”

Sarah’s voice sounded weird like she had just run up a flight of stairs. “Where are you at?” 

“Out to dinner with my brother still. What’s going on?” Ruby asked softly. “Where are you at Sarah? Is everything okay?” 

“No, everything is not okay. I’m at the hospital, have you seen the news?” Sarah asked, her voice gruff and filled with what Ruby now assumed was concern for Liv's wellbeing. “Look up TMZ news.” 

Ruby felt like her heart plummeted down to her feet, a feeling of dread settling low in her stomach. “Hold on.” She instructed Sarah, pulling up the TMZ website on her phone. 

Across the front page of the website was a blurry picture of Liv with a drink in hand. The headline read ‘Liv Morgan: Off the wagon again’. Almost directly underneath that was a couple more articles about Liv allegedly fighting her ex Enzo Amore at a party, and then getting drunk and stripping down to her bra and panties on the party’s dance floor. 

“What did Liv do? Why is she at the hospital?” Ruby asked, trying to keep her voice from shaking. 

Sarah grunted. “Because after she broke her hand hitting Enzo in the face, she got plastered. That idiot stripped down to almost nothing and then decided to get behind the wheel.”

“She didn’t hurt anybody did she?” Ruby asked the knot in her stomach was starting to grow. 

“Oh only herself. She’s gotten exceptionally good at hurting herself, she didn’t get very far with the car she crashed it into a fire hydrant and a stop sign. She’s at the hospital because she has a concussion and they need to do surgery on her broken hand.” Sarah explained filling Ruby in on what she missed. 

“They called you?” Ruby asked curiously, knowing Sarah would have stopped Liv from getting in the car if she was there. 

“Apparently I am her emergency contact, so yes they called me. I need you down here.” Sarah wasn’t sure how to help Liv, this was more than a little bit above her pay grade. She knew how to keep Liv safe from other threats but not from Liv herself. 

Ruby pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. “I’ll be there as soon as I can. Text me the address.” Ruby said before abruptly hanging up. She was disappointed in Liv, but also in herself for not seeing the blonde’s relapse coming. 

Joshua had walked back over to the table at this moment and was sporting a frown. “I guess it’s a raincheck on that ice cream? Come on, I’ll drive you.” He said offering his sister a hand. 

“I’m sorry,” Ruby admitted, hating that she was ruining his birthday dinner for this.

“Ah don’t worry about it. Who else can claim that their birthday dinner was ruined by a celebrity overdose?” Joshua asked. 

Ruby managed a bitter laugh. “A lot more people than you might think actually,” Ruby said, taking his hand and following him to the car. She was definitely going to have words with Liv when the girl woke up, but no matter what she was going to be there. Ruby wasn't going to let Liv go without a fight.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby confronts Liv at the hospital and then comes up with a plan of action to keep Liv from the downward spiral.

Liv’s throat felt dry and her hand was on fire, that was the first thought that crossed her mind as she slowly woke up from her surgery. The second thing that she noticed was that she was in a hospital of some kind. She could tell by the way everything smelled sterile. 

She tried to get her bearings about her, her left hand seemed to be taped up in a huge cast with some pins sticking out of it. It was propped up on a pillow and even trying to move it at all, made her want to cry in pain. 

“I’d stop trying to wiggle your friends if I was you,” Ruby said, from where she sat in the corner of Liv’s room. The plastic hospital chair wasn’t at all comfortable, but Ruby didn’t give anything away. She kept her arms folded across her chest and just stared at Liv, disappointment written all over her face. 

“What are you doing here?” Liv croaked cursing the fact that her throat was dry. She didn’t want Ruby to think even less of her than she already did. 

“Sarah called me,” Ruby replied clipped. She was frustrated with Liv, disappointed the girl had fallen off the wagon, but also upset that Liv hadn’t called her in the first place. She had thought that Liv was doing better, but clearly, she had been wrong. Ruby was torn between ripping Liv a new one for trying to drive drunk and being there for her patient. 

That was probably the hardest pill to swallow, Ruby had allowed herself to get more attached than normal and it had clouded her judgment. She was supposed to be Liv’s sober living companion, not her friend. It was her job to make sure that nobody enabled Liv. 

“Aren’t you going to yell at me?” Liv asked, surprised that Ruby hadn’t gone off on her already. 

Ruby sighed and shook her head. Instead, she got up and poured Liv a little cup of water, and helped her take a couple of sips. “I am disappointed in you, but I am not going to yell at you. You made a mistake and you have to deal with the repercussions of it. I think that’s punishment enough.” Ruby said, before sitting back down. 

Hearing that she had disappointed Ruby felt like a punch to the gut. “I shouldn’t have been drinking,” Liv admitted, a deep frown etched itself on her face. 

“You’re right! You told me you were going to stay home, what happened?” Ruby was genuinely curious to know if Liv had only been acting out because she went to dinner with her brother. “Were you doing it for attention? To get back at me?” 

Liv rapidly shook her head. “Was I hurt that you didn’t invite me to go with you and your brother? Yes. Do I know that it’s super petty? Yeah, I’m aware.” Liv said, the words spilling from her lips as the emotional dam broke. “I just thought that you’d want to introduce me to your family since I take you everywhere and introduce you to the people who matter to me.” 

Ruby buried her face into her hands, she wanted to scream. “So you got mad I didn’t take you and that drove you to drink?” 

“No! I went to that party to prove that I was fixed, that I could manage my addiction on my own. I’m not a charity case Ruby! I wasn’t planning on drinking. You don’t have to watch me all the time.” Liv retorted, getting angry.

“Apparently you do! Liv you were getting close to earning a chip and you threw it all away.” Ruby was frustrated but she was trying to rein in her frustration. Yelling at Liv for her addictions wasn’t going to solve anything, it was going to make her want to get sober. “What happened at the party?”

“I ran into Enzo, my ex. He was saying crap about you, about me. He’s the one that leaked my nudes one time. He also released that diss track.” Liv cringed as her mind spun, playing the crappy song on repeat in her thoughts. “I decked him and broke my hand.” 

Ruby wanted to punch the man too for what he had done to Liv, but she knew now wasn’t the time to bring that up. “So you got into a confrontation with him, and the stress is what led you to drink?”

Liv nodded slowly. “Yeah, I just got overwhelmed. I thought I could have just one drink and prove to the world I was all better. I realize now that it can never be just one drink.” Liv didn’t want to end up hurting somebody. 

Ruby’s face softened. “We all fall down sometimes Liv, but you have people who want you to succeed. It’s important to communicate and talk to your support system when you feel a relapse coming on.” Ruby reminded gently. 

“I know, and I am sorry for ruining your dinner with your brother, that was selfish of me,” Liv confessed, locking eyes with Ruby. “I’ll pay for you both to go to a nice restaurant.” 

“No, you don’t need to do that, you can't just throw money at your problems to make them all go away. It doesn't actually fix anything Liv." Ruby muttered, irritated that Liv thought throwing money at the issue would make it better. "My brother understood he’s a good supportive guy like that, I sent him home. He even bought you a get well soon card and a balloon. How is the hand feeling?” Ruby asked as she gestured to the items in the corner that her brother had bought Liv.

“It hurts, it hurts a lot,” Liv admitted glancing down at her bandaged hand. It felt like her fingers were on fire, but she was trying not to complain. “I wouldn’t mind some morphine.” 

Ruby arched a brow. “Should I be worried about a pain pill addiction?”

“I have my demons but thankfully pain pills weren’t one of them,” Liv said, before wincing as her hand throbbed. “Can you call the nurse?” 

“Yeah, I’ll tell her that you need something to help you sleep. Trust me you need all the rest you can get because you have a lot of making up to do when you’re discharged from the hospital. Stephanie sent me a text message and she’s pissed. She found out on TMZ and was not happy about it.” Ruby warned, wanting Liv to be prepared for the fallout. 

“TMZ knows about this?” Liv groaned and laid her head back on the hospital pillow. It was bad enough that Ruby was disappointed in her, but it stung even worse knowing that she had let down her fans. She knew there were people who counted on her and looked up to her, and she felt like she betrayed their trust. 

Ruby felt bad for Liv, but she hoped that this would be the wake-up call that the woman needed. She had thought Liv had hit rock bottom before, but maybe this was the rock bottom that Liv needed to smack into. She didn’t say anything but went to get the nurse hoping that they could help with the pain the celeb was feeling in her hand. 

When the nurse came to the room, Ruby stepped out. She wanted to find Sarah and talk to her about what was going on. She actually found Liv’s security guard waiting in the lobby, talking to Stephanie McMahon. Somehow despite it early in the morning Stephanie looked put together. 

“How is she?” Stephanie asked as Ruby approached them. 

“A nurse is in there now with her, Liv’s in a lot of pain. I think she’ll be okay though.” Ruby admitted, plopping down into the chair next to Sarah. 

“It’s good to hear she’s okay, now I can kick her backside myself,” Sarah grumbled, shaking her head. The security guard normally played her emotions very close to the vest, but it was obviously written all over her face how much she cared about Liv. “She scared me half to death.” 

Stephanie pursed her lips. “She always finds a way to dig herself a bigger hole. Not only does she now have a DUI, but she hit a stop sign and caused damage. She could have killed somebody, I am going to have to work overtime to keep her out of trouble.” 

“We can’t keep enabling her bad behavior, this slap on the wrist isn’t going to get the message through her mind.” Ruby pointed out. She knew first hand that celebrities often got off with no punishments for their crimes and she didn’t think that was fair. 

“You think she should go to jail? I don’t think Liv would survive in jail.” Sarah pointed out. She could imagine Liv ending up getting stabbed because she started off to somebody. 

“If she did the crime, she should have to do the time. Granted because of who she is, she’ll probably get a suspended sentence. I am talking about all of us applying the pressure to her. She has to start going to AA meetings. At least three a week.” Ruby said folding her arms over her chest. “I want her to go do community service with children and families affected by drunk driving. I told her that she can't throw her money at the problems to make them go away. I meant it."

Stephanie considered this for a moment. “You know she’s lived a troubled life though, it might trigger her if she's around the people who are in that lifestyle.” 

“I don't care. Having a crappy childhood is not a good enough excuse to get plastered and get behind a wheel. I feel bad for Liv, but her choices don’t just affect her. She has a platform and the message she is sending by her actions isn’t one worth imitating.” Ruby pointed out. She was willing to do whatever it took to help Liv get clean and stay clean, but she needed to make sure that the rest of Liv’s support system was on the same page. 

“Maybe she needs to start seeing a therapist too. If she can work out her past issues and talk them out in a safe space it might help.” Sarah suggested. She didn’t want Liv to be another statistic of a celebrity who died young. 

Ruby focused her attention on Stephanie. “You told Liv that first day in the office that if she didn’t get clean you would cut her loose. Are you willing to do that still or was that just talk?”

Stephanie frowned, cutting Liv loose from her contract was costly. “My business would lose a lot of money, but Liv’s life is way more valuable. If she can’t get her life back on track then I’ll have no choice but to fire her. We won’t release any more of her music or movies until she completes a certain number of AA meetings, therapy sessions, and community service hours.” Stephanie relented, deciding to go with Ruby’s plan. 

“We can’t enable her anymore. Are we all on the same page?” Ruby asked, looking between Sarah and Stephanie. She knew they were the ones closest to Liv, and this ‘tough love’ was only going to work if she had their support. 

“I’m in,” Sarah said nodding her head. She wanted to see Liv healthy, and she was tired of having to pick up the pieces whenever Liv shattered her life. Finding Liv passed out in her own vomit, had become too common an occurrence over the past few years. Sarah wasn't going to stand idly by while her friend self-destructed. 

“I’m in too I guess. Let’s just hope this works.” Stephanie replied with a sad smile.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liv is struggling and Ruby is there.

Liv had been released from the hospital, and aside from going to court to deal with her charges for her DUI and other offenses, she had stayed home and off the radar. Much like Ruby had predicted, Liv had gotten out of trouble with nothing more than a slap on the wrist. Liv certainly wasn’t proud of this, but she was still never the less grateful. 

That was until Stephanie McMahon sat her down and told her what the real cost of her transgressions was. Stephanie had not only insisted she go to multiple AA meetings a week but that she go do community service. Liv was supposed to spend time with families affected by drunk driving, and so far that had been the hardest part. She almost would have preferred picking up trash on the side of the road, because having to look into the eyes of widows and children, parents grieving the loss of their kids, and family grieving over loved ones was enough to break her heart.

Not only did Liv feel guilty for what she had done, but she could now see the other side. This uglier part of her addiction was not a pretty sight at all. Despite all of this, Ruby didn’t leave her side. Whenever Liv would get done with her community service, Ruby was there to drive her to the next AA meeting, or to doctor’s appointments for her hand. 

Liv’s hand was healing slowly, but the cast itched. Ruby was particularly protective over Liv’s pain pills, and would only issue them when the singer truly needed them and not a second sooner. 

“My hand itches,” Liv whined, she wanted to scratch it but the doctor had told her no. 

Ruby glanced over at her and gave a soft hum, but didn’t respond. She felt that Liv’s injury was the girl’s own fault, but she did feel bad that Liv was in pain. 

Liv studied Ruby and seemed to realize that her sober living coach wasn’t in the mood to talk. Even though Ruby hadn’t left her side, she had been super quiet and more reserved than normal. Liv hated the fact that she had thrown away their friendship, she wanted more than anything to close the distance and make amends. 

“I have been thinking about writing a song. My therapist said it could be good for me.” Liv said after a long moment. She had never been good with awkward silences. 

“If you think it would help, then you should do it,” Ruby replied, before growing silent again. 

Liv let out a heavy sigh, knowing Ruby was putting up walls to keep her out. “I am sorry I let you down Ruby, but can we please talk about this?” Liv asked, desperate to Ruby to do anything even if it was just to yell at her. “I feel like there is this canyon between us that I don’t know how to bridge. I understand keeping everything professional, but I enjoyed being friends with you. Please don’t shut me out.” Liv pleaded. 

“I do want to be your friend Liv, but I can’t be the type of friend who enables you. You have so many people around you willing to kiss up to you and at the end of the day, they don’t actually care.” Ruby pointed out. She had followed Liv around to the parties, she had seen the type of people Liv hung out with. A lot of the other celebrities seemed toxic and they seem to promote an equally toxic drug-fueled lifestyle.

“Listen to me Ruby, I don’t want you to enable me. All I am asking is that you don’t shut me out. I messed up and I take ownership of that, but please just talk to me.” 

Ruby hadn’t realized that the way she had been treating Liv had bothered the girl. She had thought that tough love was what Liv needed and while that was partially true, apparently Liv needed a friend to talk to as well. 

“I wasn’t trying to ice you out Liv. I’m sorry if it came across that way, that wasn’t my intention.” Ruby explained. The very last thing she wanted to do was to hurt the person she was trying to help. 

“It’s okay. I just want to find a way to make it up to you. I know things can’t go back to the way they were, but maybe we could work on being friends again?” Liv asked, sounding so hopeful it broke Ruby’s heart. 

“Liv, we were always friends.” Ruby pointed out. Her grip tightened on the steering wheel. “Maybe when we get home, you can tell me about your song?” Ruby asked, willing to at least try and meet Liv halfway. 

“I would really like that,” Liv said with a small smile. 

\----

When they finally got back to Liv’s mansion a couple of hours later, Liv was emotionally exhausted. She had gone to her AA meeting and physical therapy. Liv felt raw, cracked open, and exposed before the world. She had actually shared part of her story, during the AA meeting and talked about how young she had been when she took her first drink. While it was nice to know that she wasn't alone, she still felt super broken inside. 

Ruby had been thoughtful and got her a smoothie, but even that wasn’t helping her mood. All Liv wanted to do was crawl under a blanket and hide away from the world. She wanted to numb away the pain and the things that were bothering her, but after what had happened last time, she wasn’t sure she could do that. 

The tattooed sober living coach had gone to her bedroom, leaving Liv alone in the living room. Liv sighed as she sat down in front of her grand piano. She wanted to show Ruby the song, but she knew that would have to wait. Her hand was itching again and began to play a different song. It had been one of the songs she wrote during her stay in the hospital.

It was a little off due to her hand being in the cast, but she was still trying. Liv figured it would be better to play than to fall off the deep end again. She wanted to talk to Ruby, but she felt fragile. Liv was worried she would make Ruby think less of her again.

_  
‘This place is a hole, but I don't want to go  
I wish we could stay here forever alone.  
This time that we waste, but I still love your taste.  
Don't let him take my place, don't just sit there._

_Sometimes I wish you would leave me.  
Well, I'm not sick of you yet,  
Is that as good as it gets?  
I'll just try to hide it, or I could slip into you,  
It's so easy to come back into you._

_I stand for a while and waited for words,  
Seen but not heard and struggled to try.  
My tongue's turning black, but I'll take you back.  
You're still the best more or less, I guess, I guess._

_Don't you leave me,  
Well, I'm not sick of you yet,  
Is that as good as it gets?  
I'll just try to hide it, or I could slip into you,  
It's so easy to come back into you._

_It hurts me to say that it hurts me to stay.  
And it might be alright if you go.  
It hurts me to say that I want you to stay,  
But it might be alright if you go._

_So leave me,  
well, I'm not sick of you yet,  
Is that as good as it gets?  
I'll just try to hide it, or I could slip into you,  
It's so easy to come back into you._

_Sometimes I think that the bitter in you and the quitter in me  
Is the bitter in you and the quitter in me  
The bitter in you and the quitter in me  
Is the bitter in you and the quitter in me  
The bitter in you and the quitter in me  
Is bigger than the both of us.’ ___

__

__Liv was crying by the time she finished her song. Her fingers stilled on the keys, her whole body shaking as she cried. It was only when she felt arms around her waist that she realized Ruby had come out of her room. Ruby lifted a hand and wiped away Liv's tears, before cradling the back of her head._ _

__

__"I am sorry," Liv whispered, though she wasn't totally sure what she was apologizing for. There were so many things in her life that she regretted._ _

__

__Ruby just shook her head and wiped away her friend's tears again. "Shh." She whispered. She stood to her feet, pulling Liv along with her. She led Liv to her room, where there were a bunch of fairy lights and a really shoddy attempt at a blanket fort._ _

__

__"What are you doing?" Liv asked curiously, not quite understanding what was going on._ _

__

__Ruby cleared her throat. "It's been a while since I've had actual friends. So I was thinking maybe we could watch a couple of comedy movies and have a girl's night. You look like you could use a cuddle." Ruby said softly. She let go of Liv and moved to sit in her fort, allowing Liv to make the choice if she wanted to hang out or not._ _

__

__A look of uncertainty crossed Liv's features. "Are you sure?"_ _

__

__"I've already forgiven you Liv, you need to forgive yourself. You won't heal unless you give yourself the grace too." Ruby replied staring up at her. She patted the spot next to her in the fort. "I got mean girls."_ _

__

__Liv laughed and made her decision as she moved to sit in the fort with Ruby so they could watch the movie on Rue's laptop. She hadn't actually been in the girl's room since Ruby moved in, but she decided that she liked it. It was fairly quaint and although it was colored with reds and blacks, it somehow seemed to fit Ruby's personality._ _

__

__"Thank you for this Rue."_ _

__

__Ruby didn't say anything, she just wrapped her friend in a warm hug, hoping it would be enough to calm the storm raging inside of Liv._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song that Liv sings is what this story is named for. 'Lover Dearest' by Marianas Trench.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMvYYHgx8P0 - This is a really great piano cover of the song, and you should listen to it. It's definitely how I picture Liv singing it.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a bad confrontation, Ruby decides it's best to maybe get Liv out of town.

“Liv Morgan, how does it feel knowing you let your fans down?” 

Flinching away from the microphone that had been thrust into her face, Liv frowned. She had just finished up some of her community service hours with the children and families of victims killed by drunk driving. Liv was actually learning a lot by spending time with them and hearing their stories, but apparently the paparazzi had tracked her location. She didn't want to cause a scene outside of the building, the people inside had already been through hell and she didn't want to make it worse. 

Deciding that her best bet was just to ignore the person, Liv tried to step around the man questioning her. She recognized him as a man named Heath Slater. 

“Do you feel any shame for driving under the influence? You claim to be a role model, but what kind of role model are you?” Heath asked as his associate snapped some very unflattering pictures of Liv who was trying to duck away from the camera. 

“No comment,” Liv said. Her voice was shaking but she was trying to move past them to the parking lot where Ruby and Sarah were supposed to be waiting for her. 

Her response seemed to anger Heath. The man stepped in front of her, blocking her path. Apparently, he wasn't done with his interview and he wasn't going to leave her alone until he got his soundbite. “You’re just a self-absorbed airhead that doesn’t care about anything other than your next fix. My daughter looked up to you.” Heath snapped bitterly, once more shoving the microphone into Liv’s face. 

Liv stumbled backward and would have fallen if Sarah hadn’t come up from behind her and caught her. Liv’s security guard righted her and then stepped in front to protect Liv, while Ruby pulled the car up. 

“I believe Ms. Morgan said no comment.” Sarah snapped, her tone taking on a menacing note. She wasn’t going to let anybody harass Liv or hurt the girl in front of her. 

“People like Liv Morgan are a disgusting plague on the world today. They think their actions have no repercussions on anybody else. Good people have to pay for their crimes, while people like her get to walk around as if the world revolves around them.” Heath shouted, spitting in Liv's direction.

Ruby by this point had opened the door and was telling Liv and Sarah to get in. She was silent as she drove, the only indication that she was upset was her death grip on the steering wheel. 

“Don’t let that guy get to you Liv,” Sarah whispered, she had taken up the back seat with Liv and was trying to comfort her friend. 

Liv sniffled a little bit. “He’s right though, my actions do have consequences.” 

Ruby glanced at her in the rearview mirror. “Look you know where I stand on what you did, but you’re making it better. You’ve been going to your meetings and doing your volunteer hours. Just keep your nose to the ground and don’t let them get to you. Sarah is right about that.” 

“People are always going to have opinions, they are always going to have something to say about you, you just have to grow a thicker skin and realize what they say about you doesn’t matter,” Sarah added, reaching over to wipe away some of her friend’s tears. She didn’t like to see Liv crying. 

“I need a vacation,” Liv mumbled, wishing she could just go someplace where she could be alone with her thoughts. 

Ruby debated for a second, she focused on driving but there was something else tugging at her mind. “If you’re really looking for a vacation I might know a place. It would require traveling but my grandpa owns a cabin in Indiana.” Ruby said quietly. She knew it would be a place away from crazy fans and paparazzi and a safe space for Liv to keep working on herself. 

“That actually sounds good,” Liv said, wanting to get away from Hollywood and some of the more negative influences. “I could use a fresh start.”

“I’ll call Stephanie and let her know. Maybe she can loan us her jet or something.” Sarah suggested, knowing otherwise they would probably be spending an arm and a leg on traveling.

\-----

-Seven hours later- 

Convincing Stephanie had been the easy part, admittedly Stephanie might have been a little too eager to get Liv out of town. The way she saw it Liv was a liability at the moment and the headlines were not in the blonde favor. Getting Liv away from the public eye was probably in everybody’s best interest because it was going to allow the heat around her to die down. On top of that, she could go to her AA meetings in a more private environment than Los Angeles. Sarah was surprised that she had been able to sell Stephanie so quickly, but she was thankful nevertheless. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever been to Indiana before,” Liv commented as she looked around the tiny airport. They were making their way towards the rental car. “It’s quaint.” She said, trying to be polite, but she was a little tired after the long flight from Los Angeles.

Ruby snorted softly. “It’s home, I’ve missed it here.” She said, looking over her shoulder at Sarah. Liv’s security guard looked just as excited to be in the state. “Are you happy to be here Sarah?” 

“I grew up in Kentucky but my family and I came here a lot,” Sarah explained it had been a place of multiple family vacations for her. 

“Are you sure your family is going to be okay with us using the cabin?” Liv was a little worried about what Ruby’s family was going to think of her. 

Ruby sighed a little bit. “Try not to worry about it Liv, what they think isn’t important right now. My mom has a tendency to love everybody, so just relax. Besides we might not even see them that much.” Ruby was going to do her best to help Liv stay under the radar. She didn’t want the celebrity to wind up with even more bad publicity. 

“We’ve got your back. Let’s just enjoy the vacation okay?” Sarah suggested, guiding Liv to the rental car and helping her put the luggage in the back.

Once they all got into their car, Liv quickly fell asleep much to Sarah’s chagrin. Sarah was only unhappy because Liv had fallen asleep and was drooling against her shoulder. What made it worse was that Liv was even snoring a little bit.

Ruby snickered softly and watched her friend in the rearview mirror. “Having fun back there?” 

“She’s literally drooling on my shoulder. It’s gross.” Sarah muttered though she made no move to push Liv off of her. Deep down Sarah cared about the girl she guarded. She was one of the people who spent the most time with Liv, who had seen the highs and lows the star had gone through. 

"Somehow I don't think you mind all that much. You care about her." Ruby commented. 

"Well I mean duh, she's the reason I have a job," Sarah said defensively. She wasn't good at expressing her feelings, but she didn't want to see Liv hurt. "You know I was one of the people who have found Liv passed out and overdosed. I've found her sitting in a shower the water was freezing and she was just sitting there. I get worried when I don't hear from her." Sarah locked eyes with Ruby, trying to communicate with more than just words. 

"It's hard to deal with a loved one's addiction. It requires a lot of love, and sometimes that has to be tough love. It doesn't feel good." Ruby knew that one first hand. As a sober living coach, she had dealt with a lot of people struggling in their addictions.

Sarah sighed and glanced at Liv who was still dozing. "I don't want to wake up one day and find her dead somewhere. That's one of my biggest fears. I am supposed to protect her, but how can I do that when I can't fight the thing causing her the most pain?" 

Ruby tightened her grip on the steering wheel. She wished that she had the answer for Sarah, but she really didn't. "We can't enable her bad behavior but we can be there for her. We can listen and offer a shoulder for her to cry on. I think being away from the party scene in Hollywood will help. At least for a little bit, she can be a normal person here." Ruby said, steering the car up the mountain towards her grandfather's old cabin. 

"I just hope it's enough," Sarah said, wrapping an arm around the sleeping Liv as she attempted to keep her friend warm.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trio connect and bond at Ruby's cabin.

“Okay, when you said cabin in the woods, I wasn’t sure what to expect. This looks like a holiday card.” Liv said as she took a look at the building. It was a two-story wood cabin, with a large deck patio. It seemed well maintained and it was nothing like Liv had expected. She had been thinking more along the lines of a shack than an actual house. 

Sarah was also looking around the exterior of the cabin, but if anything she had lit up like a child in a candy store. “This is so awesome!!” Liv's Bodyguard had always enjoyed the outdoors and being here was right up her alley.

Ruby just laughed and began grabbing their luggage out of the back. “It’s always been a home away from homes for me. One of the places where I could do my best thinking.” Ruby explained. She knew that her family was going to want to meet her friends, but for right now she just wanted to get Liv and Sarah settled in. 

Growing up in the area Ruby knew that sometimes the place could give off a small-town sort of vibe. Things were laid back and easy, and sometimes new strangers in town brought gossip, but most of the time it was harmless. Ruby doubted that the lady ladies gossiping on their stoops would be as venomous as the tabloid papers who had ripped her friend to shreds. 

There was a piece of Ruby that hoped this would be good for Liv. She wanted to see her be successful and happy, she knew more often than not Liv had just numbed her emotions and hid her feelings at the bottom of a bottle. It was hard for the blonde to open up and while music certainly helped with processing through those feelings, Ruby felt like she needed more. It wasn’t going to hurt the blonde to have more coping mechanisms.

Ruby gestured for them to follow her and led the way inside of the cabin. It was nice and clean, with decorative throws on the couches. "There's a couple of different bedrooms. You both can pick out the ones you want, I'll start a fire in the fireplace and unload our supplies."

One of the first things that they had done when they got into town, was to stop at a store and buy some food for the fridge. Liv of course had insisted on raiding the candy aisles, while Sarah had gone straight for the meat section demanding that they grill a bunch of steaks. It had been up to Ruby to make sure that they weren't going to be living just off sweets and protein. She had of course allowed some sweets, but she made sure that there were vegetables, fruits, and lots of different food colors. Ruby didn't want to get a call from Stephanie about Liv going crazy off a sugar high. 

That was the other thing, Ruby had made sure that it was clear there would be no alcohol at the cabin. She had brought water, tea, juices, and even soda, but she wasn't going to allow any drugs or alcohol in her family's cabin. It was vitally important to Ruby that she set Liv up for success and keep the blonde from relapsing once again. 

The sober living coach was unloading the groceries when Sarah came back downstairs. The security guard was looking a bit nervous and Ruby could read the tension in her frame. "You okay?" 

"I am worried about Liv. She seems to be doing better, but I just don't want to lose her." Sarah had been present through most of Liv's struggles and she was terrified of having to find Liv overdosed again. "She's like my little sister and I love her. I'd gladly step in front of a bullet for her, but how can I save her from herself?" Sarah asked quietly. 

"Addiction is tricky and there's not really a one size fits all solution. Loving an addict is hard, but you can't take the weight of their addiction and put it on yourself. All you can do is love her, but you have to take care of yourself too. Fix your own oxygen mask before you try and fix LIv's." Ruby said, knowing it was important for Sarah to deal with the trauma she had from the countless times she had been forced to save Liv's life. 

Sarah nodded slowly. "You're pretty good at this advice thing." 

Ruby just chuckled. "Seems like I have you fooled then. Sometimes I feel like I am just going through life being the best faker in the world, but I do know that I care about the people I try to help. I want the best for them." Ruby admitted sheepishly. She didn't feel like she had it all together, but she had gotten pretty good at holding up that facade. 

It was at that moment that Liv came walking down the stairs, dressed in an over-sized pair of sweats and a hoodie. She had her arms wrapped around herself, somehow looking smaller. “What are you two gossiping about?” She asked softly. 

Ruby locked eyes with Liv, studying her for a long moment. “We were just talking about how much we love you. I’m glad you’re here Liv.” Ruby said, giving her a meaningful look. She then turned and gestured to the groceries. “Do you guys want some s’mores?”

“You know I do!” Liv immediately seemed to perk up at that. There wasn't much she wouldn't do for some sweets.

Sarah nodded as well. “You can definitely count me in.” 

Ruby laughed and began to get out the supplies they would need to make the s’mores. Her phone buzzed and she paused, checking the message. “My brother Josh wants to know if it’s okay if he comes to hang out for a couple of minutes?” 

Liv glanced at the ground, feeling a bit embarrassed. She still felt a large amount of guilt for how she had acted the last time Joshua had been around. “Yeah, I am okay with that. I need to apologize to him for ruining his birthday. I was selfish.” 

If Ruby was surprised by Liv’s words, she didn’t say anything. She merely gave her friend an approving nod and texted her brother to come on over. It would be nice to see him and she wanted to make sure that he actually got to know Liv and Sarah. Liv hadn’t made a good first impression, but Joshua was the forgiving type and his chill nature was probably going to be a good thing for the celebrity. 

“As long as I get S’mores, I don’t care who comes over. I just want to eat.” Sarah replied as her stomach growled. She hadn’t eaten since the airport and she was starting to get a little emotional from not eating. 

“He says he’ll be here in twenty. We can at least start the snacks.” Ruby said, handing out a couple of marshmallows to each of them. She had seen Sarah when she was hangry and it wasn’t a pretty sight. 

A few minutes later, the trio was happily munching on their food, when Liv cleared her throat. “Thank you for bringing me here Ruby. I didn’t realize how much I needed a chance to just unplug from all the chaos going on with the media and the paparazzi. It’s nice to just be able to be free and to think clearly.” 

“You’re welcome Liv, I’m glad it’s helping you,” Ruby replied as she gave her friend a gentle nudge. Liv reminded her a lot of a puppy sometimes, that just needed a little bit of help to excel and prosper. A sort of guiding hand that could kindly yet firmly point her in the right direction. 

Liv nodded and licked some of the chocolate off her fingers. She knew she had a lot to atone for with the people that she had hurt and let down, but she did want to turn her life around. “If you weren’t a sober living coach or a bodyguard, what would you guys be doing?” Liv asked curiously.

A wide smile split Sarah’s face. “I would get married to the love of my life and then probably own a bunch of farmland. I’d want to be a homesteader and learn to be self-sufficient. I would want to have a bunch of farm animals and maybe have my own garden.” Sarah said with a shrug.

Ruby blinked in surprise, she hadn’t expected such a thoughtful answer. “I was just gonna say I’d be a roller derby coach or something.” She was teasing of course. “I’d still want to help people. I don’t know what I’d do though, perhaps I’d be a preschool teacher in another life.”

Liv studied Ruby, trying to imagine her taking care of children. “I think you could be a great teacher, but I don’t think I would ever have the patience for it.”

"You're enough of a handful for both of us right now." Sarah teased sticking her tongue out at Liv, who pouted at her.

There was a knocking on the cabin's front door and Ruby got up to answer it. She was excited to see her brother and greeted him with a hug. "Hey, Josh."

Josh smiled and hugged her back, before ruffling Ruby's hair to annoy her a little bit. He walked in and smiled at Sarah and Liv. "Hey, you two must be Ruby's friends." He of course recognized Liv because she was famous, but he didn't want to make her uncomfortable. "I'm Josh, it's nice to meet you both." 

"I like your shirt, Josh!" Sarah said nodding to the band shirt he was wearing. "I'm Sarah."

Josh looked at his shirt and chuckled. "I actually got to see Disturbed in concert once. It was great." He noticed that they were eating smores and moved to sit in the seat that Ruby had vacated. "Looks like you three were having a snack party." 

Liv shifted uncomfortably and then offered Joshua one of the snacks off her plate. "I'm actually glad you're here. Ruby talks a lot about you and I just wanted to tell you face to face, that I am sorry. I know I didn't make a good first impression and I am sorry that my actions ruined your birthday celebration. I acted selfishly and I hurt a lot of people with my actions. I hope I can make it up to you, Joshua." Liv said forcing herself to keep eye contact. 

Ruby gave a small smile, impressed that Liv had cut right to the chase and wasn't making excuses. She watched her brother process the apology before he simply broke the more in half and offered a piece of it to Liv. 

"I know how tricky life can be when you're in the middle of addiction. I appreciate you apologizing and recognizing how your actions were hurtful. I receive your apology and I forgive you Liv." Josh said, giving her a nod. He knew his sister cared a lot about the blonde and he was more than willing to give her another chance. "I'll give you a do-over on the impression. Hi, I'm Josh." He held out his hand towards her with a warm smile.

Liv managed a small laugh. "Well let's hope my new one works better. I'm Liv Morgan, it's nice to meet you, Josh." She replied shaking his hand. 

"Now that we're all friends, do you guys want to know some embarrassing childhood stories about Ruby? Like the time she ate yellow snow when she was four? Or the time that she totally got her tongue stuck on the outside porch railing, that was a classic one. Do you remember that Ruby?" Josh asked, wiggling his eyebrows at his sister.

Ruby looked horrified and quickly shook her head. "Don't even go there! We are not telling embarrassing stories from our childhood." 

"I want to know," Liv said, drawing her knees to her chest. Ruby seemed so put together all the time, it was nice to know she was capable of being normal. Seeing her interacting with her brother made Ruby seem more human in Liv's eyes.

Sarah was laughing so hard that tears were streaming down her cheeks. "Oh come on Ruby, it sounds like a good story." 

"Oh it was, we had to try and melt the ice so she could free her tongue," Josh said, not even moving when Ruby punched him in the arm. 

"That's it! No more snacks for you." Ruby grumbled good-naturedly. She wasn't really mad though, she was just glad that her brother and her friends were getting along. 


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trio enjoy a snow day.

Liv hadn’t expected to be having as much in Indiana as she was. Ruby’s brother was actually cool to hang out with, and it was nice to see Ruby acting relaxed and happy for once. It struck Liv that she hadn’t actually seen Ruby this carefree before, there was a lighter aura around the sober living coach, she looked less burdened somehow. 

Even Sarah seemed less guarded now that they were away from the bustle of the city. The bodyguard didn’t look like she was as tense as she had to be when there were crowds and paparazzi about. The usual furrow in Sarah's brow was gone, which made her look a lot younger.

Everything in Ruby’s hometown seemed to move at a slower pace. Liv missed the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles, but she couldn’t deny it was peaceful in the town. It had actually snowed a little bit, and Ruby’s brother had insisted on taking them further up the mountain so they could all have a snow day. 

Ruby and Sarah were busy building a snowman which left Liv and Joshua to trudge up the hill so they could go sledding back down it. Liv was having a lot of fun, it was easy to forget a lot of the troubles from back home. 

“Are you having fun?”

Liv turned to glance at Joshua and nodded. “Yeah, I am. Ruby had the right idea, to bring us here.” Liv mused, giving a shrug. 

Josh studied her for a moment. “Not to overstep, but were things really going that bad in Los Angeles?”

Liv thought about it, before sighing. “Some of those headlines were my fault, so yeah I’d say so. I am working on changing for the better, but it’s hard to do that when there are people constantly throwing your worst mistakes back in your face.” 

“I imagine that would be pretty hard.” Josh conceded before he nodded to the snowy hill. “Race you to the bottom. The loser has to buy the other a hot chocolate with extra whipped cream and marshmallows.”

Liv laughed and nodded. “You’re on.” She said plopping down on her sled. “Ready...set...Go!” She yelled, pushing off down the hill just ahead of him, laughing the whole way. She was thankful that he hadn’t asked about Enzo or the rest of the mess she had left behind. She didn’t really want to talk about it. 

When the pair made it to the bottom of the hill, Sarah was wrapping her scarf around her and Ruby’s lopsided snowman. “He’s perfect.”

“He’s certainly something,” Ruby said laughing. The poor snowman looked like he was already melting. “He’s just dropping his winter weight like it’s nothing.” She added, a playful smile on her face. 

Sarah pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of Ruby with the snowman, before grabbing a selfie of herself. “Thank you for letting us come here, Ruby.”

Ruby gave a little laugh. “You guys are always welcome to come to visit. I think we all just needed some time away from everything.” Ruby couldn’t deny that she was happy to be back home as well. Being back in her hometown brought a lot of peace and happiness to her. 

“We’ll have to go back at some point, and that’s what I am worried about. I don’t know if Liv can handle being run through the media blender again.” Sarah said, casting a wary glance to where Liv was trying to throw snowballs at Ruby’s brother. The blonde seemed to be having the time of her life. Sarah had never seen her laughing that freely before. “How much can she take, before she decides to not get up anymore?” 

“She could retire from acting, retire from signing, but I doubt that would make her happy. I think she just needs a stronger support group and to have friends outside of us who are on the same page as her.” Ruby wanted to see Liv succeed, and wanted to give her the tools so she could stand on her own two feet. They had to support Liv’s career choices whatever she picked because at the end of the day they did work for her. 

“I don’t know if my heart could take finding her on that bathroom floor again. There were days where I’d walk into her room, wondering what state I was going to find her in.” Sarah averted her gaze. She knew she had talked about this before, but it was still something that she struggled to process. Sarah had done her best not to complain and to act indifferent to the feelings, but Liv’s addiction had done a number on her too. 

“Maybe you should look into seeing a counselor,” Ruby suggested quietly. “You can’t help Liv put on her oxygen mask when you’re needing to put on your own. Take care of your own mental health, it’s okay to put yourself first Sarah.”

Ruby reached out and gently took Sarah’s hand giving it a little bit of a squeeze. The more time they spent together, the more Ruby realized she valued the security guard’s friendship. For as tough as Sarah was, there was a softer and tender side that not many got to see.

“Can I tell you something kind of personal?” Sarah asked after a long moment. 

Ruby arched a brow but nodded, knowing Sarah wasn’t usually the sort to be this open about personal matters. “Sure, what is it?” 

“So I’ve been seeing my boyfriend Raymond Rowe for a while, and I think he might ask me to marry him soon,” Sarah said quietly.

“Oh, that’s exciting.” Ruby cheered, lightly patting her on the back. “Are you not excited about it?”

Sarah quickly shook her head. “I am super excited about it. I just don’t know if I can put aside my job duties enough to focus on planning a wedding. Rowe and I aren’t exactly all that traditional, and Liv is in a fragile place--” She trailed off and looked down at the ground. 

“You can’t put your life on hold for Liv, besides let me worry about her. Maybe we can look into hiring another bodyguard or two to be around so she’s protected and you have the time to plan your wedding.” Ruby suggested, wanting Sarah to be able to really celebrate that sort of important milestone. Most celebrities seemed to have more than one main bodyguard anyways.

“Liv doesn’t like change…”

Ruby snorted softly. “She’ll get used to it. Liv is your friend and she would want you to be happy.” Ruby replied, trying to reason with her. “Liv is finally getting herself going in the right direction, she’ll be okay. She can’t be codependent on you to solve all of her problems, that wouldn’t be healthy.” 

Sarah managed a small laugh. “I suppose you’re right.”

Liv by this point had made her way over, her cheeks starting to turn pink from the cold. She flashed a big smile in their direction and attempted to wrap her arms around their shoulders. “Nice snowman, what are you guys gossiping about?” Liv asked, a playful glint in her eyes. 

"Well, Sarah here was telling me about her boyfriend Rowe." Ruby wiggled her eyebrows playfully.

Uncharacteristically for her, Sarah actually blushed. "Rowe texted me earlier this morning saying he missed me."

"Ahhh how sweet is that." Liv cooed lightly hip checking Sarah. "He is so sweet on you, it's sickening." 

Sarah shifted her weight awkwardly. "To be quite honest I am a little nervous because I think he might be proposing to me soon." She was trying to keep her tone neutral to see how Liv would react.

Liv blinked in surprise, but then a wide smile crossed her features. "That is so cute! I hope he does, you deserve to be happy Sarah. I've never seen anybody look at each other, the way that you two do. I could write a million songs about that kind of love. If you get married, I'd perform at your wedding for free if you wanted." 

Sarah let out a watery laugh and tugged Liv into her arms, hugging her tightly. "You'd be in my bridal party, you dork." 

If Liv was surprised by the physical contact she said nothing, she instead just sank into Sarah's bear hug. "You deserve to have the best wedding Sarah. You're not just a bodyguard, you're my best friend." Liv whispered quietly, patting her back.

Ruby watched the two of them interact and tried to discretely wipe away a tear. She decided to give the two a minute by themselves and excused herself to go help her brother collect the sleds. 

"They okay?" Josh asked, arching a brow.

"Yeah, they're just having a moment. You've been having fun with Liv?" Ruby asked curiously.

Josh merely chuckled. "Yeah, she's pretty cool. I owe her a hot chocolate, she totally heated going down the hill." 

Ruby just laughed. "Yeah, she does always find a way to win. She's kind of particular; she has to have exactly eleven marshmallows, so don't get it wrong." She said, giving him a look. She held up a hand, trying to interrupt the question she knew was coming next. "Don't ask how I know that. It's just one of her weird quirks."


	11. Chapter 11

“Are you sure you can handle this?” Sarah asked Rowe. She really loved her boyfriend but she was surprised that he had agreed to guard Liv for the day. Sarah and Ruby were narrowing down some candidates with Stephanie for Liv’s future bodyguard, but in the meantime that left Liv by herself. 

They had been back in Los Angeles for a couple of days, but this was the first time that Liv was getting to go out and explore since she had been back. The trip to Indiana with Ruby had really put a lot of things into perspective for the celebrity. She knew there were a lot of issues she still needed to work through when it came to cleaning up her reputation and fixing her life, but now Liv felt optimistic. The almost month-long trip to Indiana had been the refreshing vacation she needed. 

Rowe nodded in response to Sarah’s question. “I can handle Liv. I think I’ll spend most of the time keeping her out of trouble.” Rowe was used to Liv’s wild side due to his relationship with Sarah, they were a bit of a packaged deal and he had learned to accept that. He saw the petite blonde as a sort of younger sister and wanted what was best for her. 

Sarah chuckled and rolled her eyes skyward. “You say you can handle her, but I have a feeling you’ll be calling me for back up later.” Sarah teased, brushing a thumb affectionately over her boyfriend’s cheek. 

“Nah, if she gets to be too much of a handful I’ll call Hanson. You and Ruby need to find the right bodyguard to keep her safe when you’re busy.” Rowe turned his head and kissed the palm of his girlfriend’s hand. “I’ll see you later babe?” 

“Yeah, you will.” Sarah stole a brief kiss, before stepping back as Liv entered the room. 

“Come on Raymond, we have a lot to do today,” Liv said using a fake and annoying British accent. “Don’t worry Sarah dear, I’ll have him back by curfew.” She added before jumping on his back. 

Rowe groaned and gave Sarah a look. “Oh dear, I forgot what it’s like to have a little sister.” He fake-whined, before laughing. He led the way to the car, hoping that Liv would help him with his secret plan. Liv had agreed to help him find the perfect engagement ring for Sarah, which is what they’d do while Ruby and Sarah were interviewing potential candidates for Liv’s protection detail. 

\-----

“So where are we getting her ring?” Liv asked casually as she buckled up in the passenger seat. She was excited to help Rowe buy the ring for Sarah, it meant a lot that he had included her in on this. 

Rowe shrugged his shoulders. “I want to get Sarah a beautiful one, but we both know she doesn’t do flashy jewelry.” Rowe wanted to get her something that was her style. He loved Sarah a lot and he wanted to make sure the ring was perfect for her. 

Liv pulled out her phone and began looking through the different ring options. “She is a very smart, classy dame.” 

Rowe snorted softly and nodded. “I love her, she’s the best thing that ever happened to me.” He mused with a rueful laugh. “She makes my life better.” 

“Oh gosh, I am going to need to go see my dentist. You guys are too sweet.” Liv muttered fake gagging again. Truthfully she was super excited for them, in her opinion they deserved the best of everything. 

“I know that she will say yes, but I am not sure how to ask her. I want it to be special and something that makes her feel valued.” Rowe knew that Sarah wasn’t going to be mad, however, he decided to propose, but he still wanted to do something nice for her. 

Liv tapped her chin, trying to think. She wanted to help him and Sarah, she had more than enough money to do so. “Maybe you could do a proposal with a puppy. Ladies love that.” 

Rowe shook his head. “She already has to take care of you and me, I don’t know if adding another fur child to her plate would be helpful. Though when we get married I want to get her a dog.” He wanted a family with Sarah, in whatever way she wanted. He could see her being a great mother, it just depended on if she wanted that as well. 

“I resent the fact you called me a child, but you’re not wrong.” Liv conceded, knowing he was right. “What if you flew in her family and proposed on a beach? Or maybe you could take her to her favorite restaurant and propose there?” 

“That’s not a bad idea. I might take her to a renaissance fair, where we could dress up. I think she’d like that, do a Viking re-enactment, and then pop the question.” Rowe could almost see it, them having a great day and then ending the thing by proposing in front of all their friends and family. 

A warm smile crossed Liv’s face, she could see how much Rowe cared about Sarah, even in the way that he put thought into planning his proposal. “She’ll love it,” Liv said, looking away and secretly trying to wipe away some tears. She didn’t want to get emotional. She hoped to someday find the sort of love that Sarah and Rowe shared. 

Rowe could tell that Liv was feeling a little emotional, so he decided to give her a task to do. “If Sarah and I did adopt a dog, what kind do you think we would get?” 

“Oh for sure you’d get a rescue, and it would end up being the love of your lives,” Liv said, clearly brightening up. “You’d probably name it Roach but you guys would rescue the pup from a shelter because you’re good at taking in strays.” 

“Well that is true, we love a good stray.” Rowe mused, nudging her elbow. 

"You better not ever tell her I said this, but I think my life would be radically different if I didn't have Sarah. She has saved me a lot, been the kind of steadying hand that I need. I think without her tough love, I wouldn't be alive today. I know I frustrate her, but I know she loves me." Liv glanced down at her lap. She wasn't as dumb as everybody though, no she realized how often Sarah had rescued her. There had been times she was blackout drunk and still ended up dressed in her pajamas tucked in her bed. Sarah had seen her at the lowest and hadn't abandoned her, that meant the most to Liv. Sarah had always tried to encourage her to be better without being judgy. 

Rowe tightened his grip on the wheel, taking a moment to choose his words carefully. "Sarah isn't always good with the words or physical affection, but I have never doubted how much she loves you or me. One of the reasons I love her so much is she's consistent. If she tells you she's going to be there, then she will. I don't think being your bodyguard is a job to her, I think she sees you as somebody worth protecting. You were never a job to her Liv." 

Liv sniffled a little bit. "You're going to make me emotional and ruin my rep." She said, trying to downplay just how much the words meant to her. "Let's go get that ring now." She was desperate for the change in topic. Liv still struggled sometimes with accepting that people could genuinely care about her. 

\----

"Here," Ruby handed Sarah a cup of hot chocolate and gave her a warm smile. She could tell that Sarah was getting tired, they had been through a list of candidates and had interviewed close to twenty people, but none of them was the perfect fit. While Ruby appreciated that Sarah wanted to make sure there was a perfect fit, she also had a feeling that Sarah might be a little too picky. 

"Thank you." Sarah sighed and took the drink. Taking a long swing she glanced at Ruby. "How many more people are left in the pile?" 

Ruby rifled through the pages and shrugged. "Maybe two more, this one looks interesting. It's a partnership, apparently, they work together." Ruby said, handing the sheet of the paper over to Sarah, so she could see. 

Sarah read the names on the list. "Rhea Ripley and Mercedes Martinez, they look to have quite a bit of experience. It looks like Martinez was part of special ops, and Ripley trained under some other big names in the security business. We should go ahead and call them in." Sarah mused, nodding her approval. 

When Rhea and Mercedes walked in Sarah was immediately struck by their presence. Sarah usually had a good read on people due to her job, but the way they held themselves and scanned the room as they entered impressed her. Liv's safety was paramount and it was clear that Mercedes and Rhea took that seriously. They were both fairly muscled and looked intimidating. There was a practiced sort of synchronicity in the way that they moved together and Sarah really liked that as well.

"I really appreciate you both coming out for this interview," Ruby said, extending a hand and shaking each of the security guards. 

"We appreciate the opportunity." Mercedes replied gruffly. She gave a nod to Rhea. "We have a lot of experience protecting different members of the Hollywood Elite and running security for events." 

Sarah nodded and began to ask them different questions, she wanted to make sure they could protect Liv but also help her out emotionally. It was so much more than a job to Sarah and she wanted to make sure Liv's security team would have her best interests at heart. She learned where they were from and asked about their experience, careful to avoid the non-disclosure agreements that the other celebrities had. 

While Sarah's main goal was Liv's protection, Ruby wanted to make sure the people they hired would be on the same page. Not only protecting Liv from physical dangers but also protecting her from herself. It was a big task, but Ruby needed to be sure that the new security would refrain from enabling some of Liv's more self-destructive habits. 

It seemed to her from Rhea and Mercedes' answers that they had experience dealing with celebrities who had addiction problems and would protect Liv at all costs. 

"We'd like to see how you all do on a sort of trial run before we officially hire you on. Don't worry the trial run will be compensated." Ruby promised, not wanting them to think she expected them to work for free. "We will be in contact." 

Rhea nodded and gave a small smirk. "We look forward to working with you in the future and being part of the team." She said confidently. 

Sarah smiled back, liking Rhea's confidence. Maybe the younger security guard was a bit cocky, but Sarah could appreciate that. She could already imagine the sort of mischief Liv would get into with them. 

Ruby waited until they were gone before turning to look at Sarah. "What did you think? Did you like them?" 

"Depending on the trial run, I think we may have found the two newest members of Liv's security team," Sarah said, folding her arms across her chest. She would need to see them in action to be sure, but she thought they'd be the perfect fit. "So yeah, I liked them."


	12. Chapter 12

Liv studied the duo in front of her and then looked to Sarah. “Do they ever smile or do they just have that perpetual grimace on both of their faces?” She asked curiously. 

Sarah shifted awkwardly as she looked at Mercedes and Rhea. She wanted Liv to like them, but Liv herself could be emotionally closed off sometimes. She wasn’t always willing to allow new people in, at least not easily.

“They smile I think,” Sarah said trying to be reassuring. 

“I smile mate, but you haven’t given me a reason too,” Rhea replied, folding her arms over her chest. 

Mercedes nodded in agreement. “Our job is to protect you and keep people from getting in your face or harming you. I don’t think it’s in our contract to smile. Besides the perpetual grimace keeps idiots from trying to approach you.” She added. 

Liv actually considered this for a long moment and then sighed. “This is supposed to be a big party, there will be a lot of A-list celebrities here. Do you have a plan of action to protect not only me but the other guests.” 

Mercedes actually cracked a smile at this. “I’m glad you asked. We hired some security to protect the perimeter. Most of your guests have guards of their own, so the guest should be fine. One of us will be with you at all times, while the other will be roving the party and handling any potential crises.” Mercedes seemed pleased with her answer, she had clearly put a lot of thought into it. 

Ruby placed a hand on Liv’s other shoulder, trying to reassure her as well. “I think they can handle it, but I’ll be right by your side if something goes wrong and Sarah will be around.” 

Sarah chuckled softly. “Yeah I should be around, walking the grounds with Rowe, you’ll be safe.” 

Liv seemed to relax under Ruby’s touch and Sarah’s reassurances. “Yeah okay, I think we’ll be fine then.” Liv mused, finally willing to trust her new bodyguards. She knew she had to give them a fair chance, but she had never been great at changes. 

“Is there anybody, in particular, you’d like us to be on the lookout for? That you’re worried about?” Mercedes asked. She had done her research of course, but she wanted to make sure that Liv could relax and enjoy her party. 

“Definitely keep out Enzo Amore.” Liv shuddered at the thought of her ex. “His friends might try and stop by, but I don’t want them anywhere near me. So you can add his friend Cass and Carmella, and also add Lana Rusev to that list.” 

Rhea cracked her knuckles and nodded. “I have a few bones to pick with Cass, so he better not show up around here.” She had had a few run-ins with the giant of a man and he had irritated her. 

Ruby regarded Rhea carefully, not wanting the bodyguard's aggression to rub off on Liv. Her friend was already a bit of a loose cannon and Ruby didn’t want to see her acting recklessly. “I promise you tonight is going to go off without a hitch, you don’t need to worry about it.” 

Liv swallowed hard. “I think it’s better if we just focus on the party. Thinking about Enzo is making me feel sick.” She muttered darkly. That relationship had been toxic, to say the least, and she didn’t want anything to do with him. 

“We will try and keep an eye out for any gate crashers Ms. Morgan,” Mercedes promised, trying to reassure her. She exchanged a knowing look with Rhea, before looking to Ruby. “Why don’t you all get ready for the event, me and Ripley will do a sweep of the perimeter and make sure everything is going to plan. 

Ruby nodded and escorted Liv into her house, while the security guards checked the gardens and perimeter. “Are you alright Liv? You don’t have to have this party.”

“It’s for a good cause. All the money that I’m raising tonight from this gala will go towards helping needy families and people suffering from addiction. I can help fund a bigger space for the AA meetings, I want to help.” Liv explained. She felt like she needed to make amends for all the bad stuff she had done. Plus it had been a while since she got to party in a healthy way. She just wanted to dance and have fun. 

“Well, I’ll make sure that no alcohol is allowed on the premises,” Ruby replied, she didn’t want to set Liv up for failure. She knew some of the other guests might not be happy about it being an alcohol-free party, but she didn’t care about that. Her main concern was Liv and Liv’s sobriety. 

Liv hesitated and then tugged Ruby into a hug. “I know you’ve been working hard and I just want you to know that I appreciate you, Ruby. I know things haven’t always been easy but you’ve made a difference in my life. So thank you.” Liv whispered softly, giving her a tight squeeze. 

Ruby wasn’t at all sure what to do with Liv’s praise but she gently patted her back. “Everybody has a rough go of things sometimes, but I want you to know that I am proud of you Liv. I know you’re working hard to try and be the best version of yourself, and I believe in it. I know you can do anything you set your mind too.” 

Liv chuckled and removed herself from her friend’s embrace. “Come on, we have a gala to get ready for. I think Rowe might propose to Sarah tonight and I want to help him.” 

"You think he's going to do it tonight?" Ruby asked, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "Sarah is gonna love that." 

"All I know is he asked me to put a lot of fairy lights by the archway and the gazebo." Liv couldn't help but smile at the thought. She was really excited for Sarah, and part of her hoped that someday she would have somebody love her just as much. 

Ruby nodded, her smile growing. "Well, we are going to need to look good then." 

\----

The party was going alright, Liv had dressed up in a nice silver dress, while Ruby had gone for a black button-up shirt with her sleeves rolled and some slacks. It wasn’t that she couldn’t pull off a dress, Ruby just wanted to be comfortable. She had been following a pace behind Liv, meeting her friends, and generally trying to keep an eye on things. Mercedes was following a foot behind her, while Rhea was patrolling the perimeter.

So far nothing had gone to astray, but their luck wasn’t going to hold. A loud crashing sound distracted Rhea and drew Mercedes’ attention away from the celebrity. Apparently one of the guests had picked a fight with a stranger. 

Liv frowned and rolled her eyes. “I swear to god it’s not a party unless one rapper tries to fight another.” She grumbled, nodding for Mercedes to go ahead and help Rhea break up the scuffle. “I seriously don’t understand why they always pick my parties to do that.” 

“Do you want me to go help them?” Ruby asked, despite the fact that Rhea and Mercedes could probably hold their own against a lot of different people. 

Liv reached for Ruby's wrist, taking a hold of her hand. "No, please don't go. I would prefer it if you stayed here with me." She said, looking into her eyes. 

Ruby forced herself to keep eye contact and to remain calm. She knew it was important to keep her emotions in check, she didn't want to stress Liv out. 

"Well, well, well... What do we have here, a couple of haters." 

Liv tensed as she heard the sound of Enzo's voice. She had thought that security would have done a better job at keeping him away but apparently that wasn't the case. Slowly she turned to find the slimy weasel of a man smirking at her. Liv wanted nothing more than to punch him right in the face. 

"What do you want Enzo, you aren't welcome here," Ruby said, moving in front of Liv to protect her from having to deal with Enzo. 

Enzo arched a brow, clearly amused by Liv's sober living coach. "Ah, I see you brought your little pet. She really is a downgrade." Enzo remarked dismissively. 

"You need to leave," Ruby said firmly, not even wanting to get into a verbal confrontation. 

"Listen, sweetcheeks, why don't you go make yourself useful and move over there." He pointed in the opposite direction. "We and Liv need to have a nice little chat." Enzo reached past Ruby to try and grab Liv. 

Ruby struck with a quickness that even Sarah would have been proud of. She grabbed Enzo by the wrist, twisted his arm, and shoved him away as hard as she could. "I said you need to leave. You're not welcome here." Ruby's voice was now getting louder, attracting the attention of Liv's security team. 

Enzo rubbed his sore wrist. "That's it! Liv I've tried to play nice, you need to listen to me." He started to reach into his pocket, but he didn't get the chance to show Liv what he was going for as Mercedes came flying in and tackled him into the pond. 

Liv watched horrorstruck as Enzo was punched a couple of times and then restrained by Mercedes. He came up sputtering about how she had ruined his phone, but it was clear Liv's security guard didn't care. 

"Are you alright?" Rhea asked as she came over to check on both Liv and Ruby. 

"Yeah I am fine, can you please escort Mr. Amore off the property?" Liv said, clearly a little shaken up. She glanced at Ruby her gaze searching. "You didn't have to do that." 

Ruby shrugged her shoulders and smiled. "You're right, I didn't. However, I have your back. Now, be honest are you really okay?" 

Liv slowly shook her head and stepped forward burying her face into Ruby's shoulder. "I hate him, being around him makes me edgy. He triggers all of my bad impulses, and leaves me wanting to drink so I forget his every touch." 

Ruby gently rubbed her friend's back, trying to comfort her and help her process. "I know you're scared, but he won't hurt you Liv. I'll double security if I have too. I am not going to let him!" 

"It's not fair that he gets to ruin my life," Liv grumbled against Ruby's collarbone. "I feel like she's making me a hostage." 

"Well, hopefully, it'll just be temporary." Ruby watched as Rhea and Mercedes dragged Enzo out of the pond and began shoving him forcefully towards the exit. 

"You two can't be left alone for five minutes can you?" Sarah asked as she approached them, hand-in-hand with Rowe. 

Liv glanced at Sarah, before her gaze shifted down to her friend's left hand, noting that it was still ringless. "Are you two having a good time?" 

Rowe chuckled under his breath. "I was about to ask Sarah to go for a walk with me when we saw Lana." 

"Oh god, the clowns are out in full force tonight apparently," Liv muttered, clearly disgusted by what had been going on. Seeing Enzo had been enough, seeing Lana probably would have sent her over the edge. She had thought at one point she could trust them, not now that she was seeing what a healthy friendship looked like, Liv could tell she had been wrong. 

"Well, it's not too late to go for that walk." Ruby mused, trying to help Rowe salvage the evening. 

"You're right, why don't you two come with us." Rowe took Sarah's hand, leading them along the pathway to the gazebo. 

Liv took Ruby's arm and trailed after their friends. She was still feeling a little bit anxious but having her real friends close made her feel better. She couldn't help but smile as she watched Rowe whisper something to Sarah and then sink down to a knee. 

"Sarah, you've been my world for the longest time. You've brought me back from the brink so many times, and I have to say that my life has been nothing but an adventure since you entered. I never want to go back to a life without you, you are my best friend, my true north. Will you marry me?" Rowe asked holding out the ring. 

Sarah's eyes flooded with tears, and the normally tough bodyguard looked smaller somehow, softer than Liv had ever seen her. "Yeah Rowe, I'll marry you." 

Ruby gently nudged Liv, wanting to give the happy couple a moment alone. "Are you sure you're okay?" 

Liv sniffled and nodded, hurriedly wiping away her own tears. "I've never been good with change." She explained, knowing it probably sounded more than a little dumb. 

Ruby pulled her into a hug. "Well, you won't have to go through it alone. You're stronger than you think Liv." Ruby promised, trying to build her up. She knew that things had been getting emotional for Liv and she didn't want to see her fall off the wagon again. That was one of Ruby's biggest fears.


	13. chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little short, but it's a filler chapter to set up the next big thing coming their way.

Ruby had fallen asleep on the couch at the house, she had stayed up late watching movies with Liv, since the singer had been too keyed up to sleep. They had started on opposite ends of the couch, but Liv had been fidgeting a lot, so Ruby had pulled her friend close and just held her. An hour later Liv had been passed out asleep in her lap. It was the most peaceful that Ruby had ever seen her, which was saying something. When she was asleep, Liv looked smaller somehow, more fragile.

Ruby’s arms had gone to sleep hours ago and it was painful but Liv was sleeping soundly. Ruby had woken up to a mouthful of hair, but she didn’t want to wake Liv up. It wasn’t often that the petite blonde actually got enough sleep. 

It seemed however that Ruby’s phone had other ideas as it began to ring. Ruby shifted Liv’s position, moving the girl from her lap and then covering her with a blanket. She grabbed the phone and slowly padded to the kitchen to take the call in there. 

“Riott, are you there? I need to talk to you, it's important” 

The sound of Stephanie McMahon’s voice broke Ruby from her sleepy haze. “Yeah, I’m here Steph, what’s up?” Ruby wasn’t sure why Stephanie was calling her at seven in the morning, but she had a sinking feeling it wasn’t good. 

“Is Liv awake?” 

“No, she’s still sleeping, what’s wrong?” Ruby asked again, noting that Stephanie sounded a little frantic. 

“Enzo Amore is pressing charges on you and Liv’s security team for what he deemed excessive force,” Stephanie replied, furiously typing away at her computer. If anything the Boss sounded irritated that Enzo was wasting their time with such a frivolous lawsuit. The rapper certainly had some kind of nerve with all the crap he had put Liv through.

Ruby snorted softly. “He was trespassing and we thought he had a gun. It was self-defense. I'd like to see him try and convince a jury or a judge that he's the good guy. What a waste of space and oxygen.” 

Stephanie sighed. “That’s not the only issue. Enzo in retaliation has decided to release pictures of Liv… intimate pictures. He gave them to some tabloids, including a video. He’s done this in the past, but this time there are more.” 

Ruby’s head began to spin, this was definitely not the kind of news that Liv needed to see. This was exactly the kind of thing that could drive her right back to the edge. Liv had been working so hard to rehab her reputation and just when she was climbing up, Enzo had to do something to hurt her. Ruby was starting to get really sick and tired of his antics. She was more concerned with Liv however and what this betrayal was going to do to her.

“He already leaked it?” Ruby asked in utter disbelief, her voice shaking. 

“We’re trying to get him to pull the pictures down, but there isn’t much we can do for the magazines right now. We’ve got our lawyers on it. I just wanted to warn you and Liv, in case you haven’t seen it yet.” Stephanie’s voice sounded like it was a million miles away. 

Ruby wasn’t sure a trip to Indiana was going to fix this one. She wanted to let Liv sleep and enjoy the last few minutes of normalcy that she was probably gonna get. “I will take care of it,” Ruby said quietly before hanging up the phone. 

The next thing that she did was text Sarah and Liv’s security team. There was no doubt Liv was going to need her friends to rally around her. For now however Ruby just placed her phone in the other room along with Liv’s and then moved back to hold her friend. She couldn’t shield her from the fallout that was going to happen when Liv woke up, but at least for now, she could protect her for a little longer. 

Liv started to stir in Ruby’s arms, but Ruby just pressed her fingers to Liv’s temple, rubbing soft circles until Liv was at peace again. It didn't take long until Liv was cuddled back into the tattooed woman's chest, her forehead pressed against Ruby's collarbone.

“It’s okay Liv, I’ve got you. I promise.” Ruby whispered quietly, even as tears were starting to gather in the corner of her eyes. 

One way or another, Enzo Amore was going to pay


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I may or maynot have been listening to champagne problems while writing this chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: This chapter kind of deals with the revenge P*rn thing that enzo did to Liv. So trigger warning for that and for Enzo being a skeeze bucket and douche nozzle. Also trigger warning for Liv being super depressed.

Liv felt like she had been drenched in ice water. No, that didn’t even cover the feeling. When she had been little between tv sets, she had stayed at a nice hotel with her mom. She had insisted on going in the hot tub and then into the pull as many times as she could. The whiplash of being hot and cold, hot and cold, had given her the worst sinus infection. That was how Liv was feeling at the moment. 

She had woken up feeling warm and protect in Ruby’s arms, her sober living coach had fallen asleep. That warm and content feeling had evaporated like water in the desert when Liv had turned on the TV. 

On the news was pictures of her, pictures that Enzo had taken a long time ago. Even some that she hadn’t realized had been taken. Liv had watched horror-struck as the news anchors talked about the pictures Enzo had leaked. 

“You shouldn’t be watching that,” Sarah said quietly as she entered the room. She had been making them all breakfast when she heard the TV turn on. 

Liv slowly untangled herself from Ruby who was just beginning to stir. She looked Sarah dead in the eyes. “When did you find out?” 

“I called her this morning,” Ruby answered sleepily. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and carefully began to tell Liv about the phone call from Stephanie and what had gone down. 

“You didn’t think to wake me up then?” Liv asked, sounding borderline hysterical. She shook her head and began to laugh, but it sounded almost broken. “Millions of people are seeing private photos of me and you didn’t think that I should be aware of it?” 

Ruby sat up, trying to think of what to say. She could tell that Liv was getting angry and upset. “I just wanted you to be able to have a few more hours of peaceful sleep. I was going to tell you…” 

Liv began to shake her head. “I am going to kill him!” Traitorous tears began to form and fall from Liv’s eyes. She felt humiliated which considering all she had been through was saying something. 

She tried to storm to her room, wanting some distance from everybody. Sarah managed to catch her by the arm however and pulled her into a tight hug. 

“I know it hurts kiddo, I know,” Sarah whispered, squeezing her tightly. “We’re going to get through this.” 

Ruby watched the exchange, wishing she had the right words to comfort Liv. She wasn’t sure what to say or even do. She was angry at Enzo for hurting Liv, but angrier at herself that she hadn’t prevented it. 

Liv eventually pulled away from Sarah. “I need to be alone.” 

“Is that really wise?” Ruby asked softly. 

The look that Liv shot her way, was enough to shut Ruby up. “I am not going to drink if that’s what you’re worried about. I have bigger problems to think about than my sobriety. I may have just lost my career Rue.” Liv shook her head and walked towards her bedroom, slamming the door and locking it behind her. 

She was going to need some time by herself to process everything that was going on. Perhaps it was a bit self-destructive but she found herself opening up the gossip websites. A sick part of her wanted to know what Enzo had said about her, what the fans were saying about her. Most of it was negative, lots of thirsty fans making lewd comments, and jerks like Enzo saying that she deserved it for playing with his heart. 

Liv remembered how she had felt when he released his diss tape. Somehow this felt even worse. She tried to wipe away the tears that were falling, but they seemed to fall faster than she could manage them. 

She had promised Ruby that she wouldn’t drink, but that didn’t take away the fact that she wanted something, anything to numb the pain she was feeling inside. She walked to her bathroom, deciding to maybe take a shower. 

\----

“What do we do Sarah, I am concerned,” Ruby whispered in a quiet hiss. Seeing Liv looking so defeated had broken her heart. 

“You can’t force your company on her, she’ll hate that. All we can do is be there for her when she’s ready to open the door.” Sarah said softly. She knew that Ruby was concerned, she was equally as worried about Liv. However having been around the blonde dynamo, she knew that sometimes it was better to let Liv sort through things, and calm down first. 

“What if she hurts herself?”

Sarah sighed and shrugged. “I don’t think she will, but we can’t torture ourselves with what-ifs. You have given Liv a lot of coping mechanisms, let’s hope she chooses a healthy one. We have to trust her.” 

Ruby knew that Sarah was right, but that didn’t make things any easier for her. She felt guilty for not waking Liv up sooner. She just thought that her friend needed the extra sleep.

“Be there when she is ready, but my best advice to you right now is to give her some space,” Sarah advised, trying to not only help Liv but to help Ruby as well. 

“I need to call Stephanie and let her know that Liv is awake,” Ruby said after a long moment. 

“Why don’t you let me handle that.” Sarah wasn’t sure if Ruby was in the right frame of mind for that sort of conversation anyway. 

Ruby flashed a grateful smile and then went to wait outside of Liv’s room. She wasn’t going to force her company on the blonde, but she was going to be there when the younger woman was ready. She tried not to get worried when she heard the sound of an electric razor buzzing.

“Liv...can I come in?” 

There was a heavy sigh and then the lock to the door clicked open. Ruby gave it a moment before walking into Liv’s room. The first thing that alarmed her was the sight of long blonde hair everywhere. 

“Did you…” 

Liv poked her head out of the bathroom, scissors in hand. She had done a really crappy job of shaving the side of her head and was trying to cut chunks out of the other half of her hair. 

“I didn’t hurt myself,” Liv responded cooly.

“You are cutting your hair?” Ruby asked, keeping her tone even and soft. 

Liv looked back to the mirror as if she was seeing herself for the first time. “Yeah, it seems like I am. I am going for a Natalie Dormer in the hunger games look.” 

Ruby took a deep breath, wondering how much crap they were going to get for Liv cutting her hair like this. “Well, that’s one way to get people talking about you.” She attempted to joke. 

“As opposed to the sex tape and the pictures?” Liv scoffed and went back to trying to cut her hair, but eventually, she flung down the razor and began to sob openly. 

Ruby blinked in surprise but quickly crossed the room and tugged Liv to her chest, holding her close. “I’ve got your Liv.” 

Liv just cried harder. “Why did he do this to me? He’s trying to ruin my life, have you seen what those people are saying? My life is over.” 

Ruby slowly shook her head and wiped away some of Liv’s tears. “Your life isn’t over babygirl. We’ll make him pay, we’ll sue him and bleed him dry. He’s not going to win.” 

“He already has. Ruby, I don’t have much left.” Liv mumbled, burying her face into Ruby’s shoulder. 

Ruby cupped her friend’s face and forced Liv to look at her. “You have so much to offer Liv. Screw Enzo and his stupid stunt. You are more than your reputation, you are more than what anybody else thinks of you. Don’t let him win.” 

Liv sniffled a little bit. “I am so angry.” 

“That’s okay, you’re more than allowed to be angry.” Ruby brushed her fingers along the crappy fade Liv had attempted to give herself. “If you want a new haircut, then I’ll help you. But maybe we can call my friend Shotzi. She can fix this up and make you look awesome.” 

Liv hesitated and then slowly nodded. “I guess I made a mess of everything.” She looked around noting all the blonde hair that was on the bathroom floor and on her bed. 

Ruby tried to bite back a smile. “It looks like you slaughtered a Malibu barbie in here. But it’s okay, we can make it work.” Ruby pressed a soft kiss to her friend’s temple. “We’re going to get through this Liv, together. I promise.” 

“He broke me, Rue…Just when I thought I was getting better, he shattered me all over again.” 

“Well, then I’ll be here to help you pick up the pieces, Liv. This isn’t how your story ends, we’ll get through the storm.” Ruby promised, squeezing her tightly. 

Liv melted into her embrace, she wasn’t certain that Ruby could fix this, but being in her arms felt like the warmth of the hot tub after the pull. She knew the cold was coming, but for now, all she wanted was to sink into the familiar warmth. 

“Okay Rue, call Shotzi,” Liv said, finally giving in. If the media was going to talk about her, she was going to give them something to talk about.


End file.
